Adoption of "sustainable sites practices" for condominium development in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sustainable condominium developments are essential to develop a living in a sustainable manner as well as to enhance environmental sustainability. Site selection and development could impact on other sustainable categories such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality as well as green materials and resources selections. Associated adverse environmental impacts on improper site selection can be hardly rectified after completion of the development, so having a key focus on “sustainable site selection and development” is essential. Review disclosed that to ensure the creation of a sustainable site, several criteria to be considered. Besides, it was identified that though there are several enablers to facilitate sustainable site selection and development, sustainable site selection and development is also associated with several challenges. As there no proper guidance on both sustainable site selection and their development in a sustainable manner, this study was aimed at developing a framework to facilitate sustainable site adoption during condominium developments in Sri Lanka. The study adopted a qualitative approach to achieve the aim. Expert interview was identified as the most suitable research strategy for this study. Five experts with appropriate knowledge and experience in condominium developments specifically site selection and development were interviewed to collect the required data. Collected qualitative data were analysed using content analysis with the help of NVivo 2011 computer software. This study revealed that to ensure proper selection and development of a site in a sustainable manner, different criteria to be employed. As per the findings, selection of an improper site makes the sustainable development of the site more challenging, considering right criteria in determining the suitable site for a project is essential. Findings further revealed that sustainable site selection and development associated with several challenges, such as lack of availability of green technologies at an affordable cost, lack of knowledge and skills to deliver sustainable buildings, financial constraints, lack of government regulations relating to sustainability, lack of government commitment and support towards the promotion of sustainability practices and Reluctance to adopt sustainable practices. At the outset, practitioners should adopt the suitable strategies to effectively deal with such challenges. Finally, using the empirical findings, a framework to facilitate sustainable site adoption during condominium developments in Sri Lanka was developed. The developed framework could provide valuable guidance to practitioners in the sustainable site adoption during condominium developments in Sri Lanka.