Multi-dimensional Analysis of Building Sustainability: Comparison of Reconstruction Scenarios in Singapore
Multi-dimensional Analysis of Building Sustainability: Comparison of Reconstruction Scenarios in Singapore

Summary/Abstract: Building sustainability is associated with multiple goals for sustainable global development and tackling climate change as defined by the United Nations. Sustainability goals have different interpretations across different domains; the construction industry alone incorporates multiple professional domains involved in building projects. However, assessment of sustainability without alignment of interests, regional context and a unique strategy may lead to conflicting and suboptimal building design solutions. In this paper, multiple dimensions of sustainability assessment that affect building design and construction are investigated; first, terminology and concepts are critically analysed through wider research of scientific and grey literature defining the sustainability of buildings; second, a literature review methodology is used to identify and compare multi-dimensional analyses and existing frameworks; and finally, a multiplecriteria decision analysis of a building reconstruction in the context of Singapore is performed. The results show that sustainability of buildings is not a one-way street and that a sustainability strategy must prioritise not just dimensions but also categories, criteria and indicators for each dimension of sustainability, as well as define the multiple-criteria decision analysis for the specific context. While sustainability indicators are comparable, overall sustainability performance is not and requires a case-bycase approach. The case study on reconstruction scenarios in Singapore demonstrates four scenarios incorporating ten indicators of the three most common sustainability dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. Measuring these indicators allow for a comparison and decision-making with respect to multiple criteria. This research tackles the complexity of multiple dimensions of sustainability with this case study, informing and discussing current approaches for future analyses.

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