Stakeholder based weights of new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings

Abstract

During COVID-19, the building and service characteristics of residential buildings turned out to be more critical due to lockdowns. The present research assesses the importance of new sustainability indicators for residential buildings in three categories (e.g., Health and Safety, Environmental Resources Consumption, and Comfort) that provide resilience for pandemic periods. The opinions of stakeholders on the identified indicators were collected and then analyzed. ‘Health and Safety’ category is found to be the most critical among the others. The prevention of virus propagation, mental health, and building air quality are three crucial indicators playing essential roles in the health and safety category. In more detail, innovative smart technologies, including touchless technologies, are identified as a priority in preventing virus propagation. Outdoor spaces and safe indoor places for socialization are weighted as essential in supporting the well-being and mental health of the resident. Finally, air filtration and segregation of medical waste indicators are considered critical in preventing the spread of viruses. There was a consensus among the local and international experts since they did not significantly report differing opinions for the majority of the indicators. However, there was a shift in experts’ opinions towards pandemic-oriented indicators compared to conventional sustainability indicators.

Which qualities should built environment possess to ensure satisfaction of higher-education students with remote education during pandemics?

“…Due to global lockdowns, building facility features are becoming more important, as residences start playing more roles in their residents' life as not only living, but also a working and a studying place [28,29]. Nevertheless, in the light of recent pandemics, these values might change to the deterrence of virus spread, the benefit to psychological health of the occupants, and the good air qualitythose are becoming more important characteristics to the buildings [28,29]. Some of our previous works include assessment of green building certification and/or rating systems, where it has been defined that these assessment methods are not fully ready to provide sustainable requirements for buildings during pandemics [29,30].…”

“…For example, in our previous works, rapid sustainability assessment methods for the Kazakhstani construction sector have been developed [ 26 , 27 ]. Due to global lockdowns, building facility features are becoming more important, as residences start playing more roles in their residents’ life as not only living but also a working and a studying place [ 28 , 29 ]. Nevertheless, in the light of recent pandemics, these values might change to the deterrence of virus spread, the benefit to the psychological health of the occupants, and the good air quality – those are becoming more important characteristics to the buildings [ 28 , 29 ].…”

Effects of the residential built environment on remote work productivity and satisfaction during COVID-19 lockdowns: An analysis of workers’ perceptions

“…Health and safety in residential environments in the context of pandemics includes physical well-being, mental health, and protection from the viral transmission. Prevention of virus propagation and mental health were considered crucial characteristics of buildings during pandemics by the experts of medicine, academia, and industry [ 35 ]. Safety from virus propagation measures includes the use of new smart/innovative technologies that minimize personal involvement (e.g., touchless technologies, motion sensors, keycard swiping), self-cleaning spaces, and proper selection of indoor materials that do not facilitate viral and bacterial propagation and their increase in quantity [ [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] ].…”

Assessment of the Perception of Sustainability for Occupants of Residential Buildings: A Case Study in the UAE

“…On the other hand, local services include the availability of self-dependent services in residential complexes, especially for medicine and food [91], and urban/community farming to reduce the paths for food supply and enhance mental health [92]. Based on the aforementioned sustainability indicators, expert groups from academia, industry, and medicine were surveyed in 17 countries [93], and the results showed that health and safety have the highest importance, with more attention paid to the prevention of virus propagation, mental health, and air quality. Additionally, the experts agreed that touchless technologies, self-cleaning spaces, and smart technologies contribute to avoiding the spread of viruses.…”