Proposed development of Malaysian sustainable building assessment framework

Abstract

In many developed countries, sustainable building assessment (SBA) methods have emerged as accepted mechanisms to address the issues of sustainability in the construction industry, whereas in developing countries, this is still a relatively new concept. This paper outlines the importance of assessing the sustainability attributes of the built environment towards achieving sustainability in Malaysian building industry. The meaning of sustainable development is first discussed in order to understand its key components. Existing SBA methods, originating from developed countries, are then discussed with particular attention to outlining the problems of their direct adoption in developing countries. The paper concludes with the discussion of the rationale for proposing a SBA framework relevant and appropriate for the Malaysian context.