Green buildings: A Mauritian built environment stakeholders’ perspective

Abstract

The earth’s health is deteriorating and will deteriorate even more rapidly unless people adopt eco-friendly policies. Green building has long been a concept but it has not yet been universally applied in practice. The concept of sustainability emerged in 1713 in Germany and was internationalised in the 1970s and can be associated with the energy crisis and environmental pollution concerns. This research is aimed at comparing ‘green’ buildings with ‘non-green’ (traditional) buildings in terms of cost and to determine contractors’ and professionals’ knowledge of green buildings and materials. The literature reviewed and results of a survey among professionals and contractors from the island of Mauritius formed the basis of the study. The literature study on green buildings generally revealed that green buildings may be more costly at the outset, but they contribute to long-term savings. This was confirmed by the majority of the survey respondents who stated that green building materials are more durable than traditional materials, resulting in cost savings. Furthermore, the most emphasised advantage is reduced energy and water use. Contractors are more familiar with traditional materials than green materials and professionals do not have sufficient experience in green building materials/concepts, resulting in a low growth rate of green building construction. The outcome of the study is very important for construction and design team members, clients and environmentalists.