Viability of using global standards for neighbourhood sustainability assessment: insights from a comparative case study

Neighbourhoods are increasingly gaining attention as planning units of great potential for contribution to sustainable development. Many assessment tools such as LEED-ND, BREEAM Communities and CASBEE-UD have been developed to examine the sustainability of neighbourhood development projects. Some of these tools are claimed to be suitable for assessment in different contexts, and LEED-ND has already been utilised in various countries. This study investigates the viability of using global standards through a series of comparative case studies. One certified case from each of the aforementioned tools is chosen and evaluated against its non-corresponding assessment tools. Selected cases are, respectively, Hoyt Yards, MediaCityUK and Koshigaya Lake Town. Results of this study provide evidence that casts doubt on the viability of using global standards. The paper concludes that neighbourhood sustainability assessment should be regarded as a pluralistic practice. This implies that any realistic and reliable assessment should take account of the specificities of specific locations and varying needs of different stakeholders.     

Understanding and actioning BRE environmental assessment method: a socio-technical approach

The following research applies a socio-technical approach to an original study of the role of BRE environmental assessment method (BREEAM) in sustainable building practice. The primary objective is to gain insight into what facilitates and what weakens professional associations to implement a sustainability agenda in a building project. It focuses on understanding different sets of meaning which underlie engagement with BREEAM and how BREEAM is actioned. To do this, the research framework draws on social network analysis. However, this research does not consider that sustainable building is merely an outcome of planned action. Instead, sustainable building is seen to involve processes of engagement amongst different groups, technologies, materials and methods. Therefore, the conceptual framework adopted incorporates consideration of the materiality of sustainable building engagements, highlighting the relations between actors. Interviews with project professionals involved in a case study of a BREEAM Outstanding development provide the empirical basis for this work. This research will be of interest to scholars interested in socio-technical approaches to building development, environmental building assessment methods and sustainable building.     

"基于BREEAM评估体系的绿色建筑节水标准

根据BREEAM,很多节水技术可以运用到绿色建筑中:对居住建筑,在住宅内全面考虑使用节水型器具,在住宅外充分利用英国丰富的雨水资源进行灌溉和中水回用;对办公建筑,使用节水型器具,鼓励使用雨水或者回用水系统,合理安装和使用水表,进行泄漏检测,定期维护和用水量检测和记录;对于工业建筑,重要的是安装节水型器具、合理安装和使用水表,以及进行漏水检测;对于商业建筑,除了满足以上之外,更强调进行水的循环利用,特别是回用水用于洗车,以及用水设备的维护和控制,以及水消耗监测,并反馈到记录表明用水有降低趋势。这些指标对于我国大力发展绿色建筑、节水型建筑、节水型企业,积极建设节水型城市和节约型社会,有着积极的参考价值。