GIS and Open Data for Sustainable Construction and Risk Analysis: The Case Study of a School in Zambia

Abstract

GIS and open data are clearly an asset for the construction sector, especially during the planning phase and for logistic. Sustainability is a topic that cannot be disregarded anymore and particularly relevant for the construction sector as one of the most energy and material consuming sectors. In areas where climate change is already a reality and pre-conditions already challenging, the use of available technologies might make a vital difference if properly adopted in projects. This paper presents the result of a preliminary study conducted in collaboration with the Architects Without Borders, Sweden, for a boarding school in Zambia. Results show how GIS and free open data have been used to forecast the project's socio-economic impact on the local population, suggest sustainable materials for construction and foreseen climate change consequences on the project's location and in particular on the natural resources' supply.