The Green Building Certification System(GBCS) was collaboratively established by the Ministry of Construction & Transportation and Ministry of Environment to support an eco-friendly building & environment in 2002. Starting with the category of apartme...
The Green Building Certification System(GBCS) was collaboratively established by the Ministry of Construction & Transportation and Ministry of Environment to support an eco-friendly building & environment in 2002. Starting with the category of apartment, the GBCS had been developed the category of Residential and Retail Complex Building(RRCB) and Office building in 2003.
But the assessment indicators in the GBCS simply assess quantitative differences by checklist. Therefore, it is hard to evaluate environmental quality of buildings in various categories. Especially, RRCB has a formal diversity which varies according to how Residential part and Retail part are mixed, it raises the question of effectiveness of the GBCS.
This research focuses on the objectivity of certification System for RRCB. It performed the analysis on the problems of the managerial regulations and composition of the assessment indicator, investigating a common score acquirement tendency and design elements of certified RRCBs(from 2003, all of the certified RRCBs). As a result, following conclusions are made.
Firstly, there are various factors causing anti-environmental problems both inside and outside of RRCBs. But most of anti-environmental elements were neglected in the GBCS. On the whole, it stems from the method of the current GBCS for RRCBs that evaluates on the basis of standardized way, silmply dividing the assessment indicators into two parts, 'Residential part' and 'Retail part', by its function. This reflects the GBCS only concentrates on formal function without careful consideration about RRCBs as an individual category. This evaluation method has limits to evaluate each RRCB appropriately.
Secondly, as a result of the analysis of certified RRCB's planning, the following conclusions were drawn. Most of certified RRCBs were in compliance with assessment indicators but easily give up difficult indicators. Actually, Total scoring method allows this kind of manipulation. Raising doubts if certified RRCB is really friendly to environment.
Thirdly, RRCB has various types that are widely different from the other building type such as Apartment, Office building and School, which are usually standardized by a common type. RRCB has various forms according to combination method, portion and scale. It is evident that each type of them has its own environment-friendly issues. But the GBCS evaluates environmental quality of various types of RRCB with standardized assessment indicator. For this reason, it is concerned that some RRCBs may have to abandon an acquisition of certification regardless of its intent.
Fourthly, there is no financial incentive system for certified RRCBs in the GBCS that is essential to encourage RRCBs to acquire the certification. If financial incentives are provided for certified RRCBs by various grades of certificate, it will lead to improvement in environmental quality of RRCBs.
In order to improve the problems discussed above, the GBCS needs to be reorganized multilaterally and individually. The GBCS should be improved not as assessment by standardized indicators but as multi-level assessments covering common and particular indicators. This method enables one to respond effectively to the various types of RRCBs.
Multilateral assessment system is not only applied to RRCBs but also buildings of all categories. Furthermore, it can be developed into unification of certification programs.
To spread the GBCS successfully objective indicator and rational application should be made in advance. And it is expected that the process will contribute to form a public concernsus for GBCS.