dc.description.abstract |
Sustainable development focuses on addressing the problem of providing communities
with a healthy living environment and a higher quality of life, achieved through a
conscious emphasis on environmental, social, and economic development. The
construction sector is crucial to adopting and achieving sustainable development.
However, this sector continues to experience challenges from unfamiliar technologies,
which calls for adjustments to the general construction process, principles, and working
techniques. In Addis Ababa, buildings which are built under consideration of local
environmental standards and context are rare according to the data from Ministry of
construction and Urban Development. It is observed that Western architectural styles
influence most of the city's modern structures. Present day buildings have lost their
contextual character and integrity due to architectural experiments and a drive to emulate
buildings in the western world without considering the surrounding country's unique
nature. Also, most buildings are constructed using foreign materials that are inappropriate
for the Ethiopian environment. Because of these practices, most buildings were deemed
unsustainable and uncomfortable. This study aimed to evaluate the difficulties associated
with green building concepts and to pinpoint any possibly relevant green building
characteristics. In addition to qualitative interviews with construction industry specialists,
a survey question approach was used to collate appropriate data for this study. The data
gathered and examined led to the conclusion that the higher initial cost of green buildings
and the absence of awareness/ experience are the main factors creating barriers to
adopting green concepts in the Ethiopian construction industry. According to the building
professionals, clients' shortage of knowledge and exposure to the issue makes it very
difficult to convince investors to pay attention and consider the importance of sustainable
development in the building industry. Lastly, the thesis recommended that it is important
to work on awareness creation and professional knowledge and expertise on green
building.
Key words: Green Building, Sustainability, Sustainable Development |
en_US |