Sustainable Design and Construction: Codes, Standards and Best Practice

Climate change impacts related to human activity have rapidly become one of the key global issues facing modern societies. Buildings are estimated to generate over 70% of total Green House Gas Emissions, which we know contribute to serious issues linked to sustainability and our future environment.

These and other factors have seen the sustainable construction movement gain considerable strength and momentum over recent years. Significant pressures being placed on natural resources and there are global economic and financial constraints which are driving organisations towards greater efficiencies when designing, constructing and utilizing buildings. It is not surprising therefore, that government-led sustainable design and construction initiatives are now international in scope with almost 60 national Green Building Councils (including in the UAE and GCC) establishing ambitious performance goals for the built environment in their respective countries.

In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the importance of adopting forward-looking sustainable development goals and strategies, and of approaching each construction project with a clear set of sustainability targets/KPIs. This course is suitable for all GCC participants and will take into consideration the region’s legal frameworks, Green Building Guidelines as well as draw on international and regionally established design and build codes such as LEED, GORD’s GSAS  Assessment/Certification System, and Estidama, which have been used with varying degrees of success  across the Middle East in recent years.

The course covers critical elements to consider at the design and planning stages of a project in order to incorporate sustainable construction principles. Additionally, the course introduces participants to LEED, GSAS and Estidama assessment methodologies. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Sustainable Procurement Policies are also reviewed for their effectiveness in the construction context.

Participants will be provided with the tools to develop their skills as a 'Sustainability Champion' at a project level. A Sustainability Action Plan will be developed by each participant and form the basis of an effective sustainable agenda to be implemented in their organizational projects upon course completion.

This highly interactive course will include consideration of several International/GCC/UAE sustainability guidelines and case studies allowing participants to truly observe and reflect on the value of implementing sustainable construction methodologies within their respective organisations and the difference they can make to their own construction projects.

Please note: Depending on which region participants are from, the course may be tailored to address the requirements of specific regional green building codes & certificates, such as GSAS system for Gulf regions, Estidama Pearl system for Abu Dhabi and Al Safat for Dubai Municipality.
All participants will develop and present their own Sustainable Action Plan which can then be implemented in their organization after the course.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Define sustainable construction and address sustainability challenges at key stages of a project
• Implement an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) and assess environmental risks, thereby improving environmental performance at project level
• Comply with the region’s legal framework and Green Building Guidelines to protect, and enhance the physical environment where possible
• Elevate environmental standards and performance across various structures in the built environment by following Green Building Certification schemes such as LEED, GSAS and Estidama
• Develop and implement a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) for existing and future construction projects, and identify the tangible benefits for their organization

This course is designed for anyone seeking to discover ways of creating a more sustainably built environment. This could include construction project managers, civil engineers, architects, landscape architects, contract managers, site managers/agents and environmental professionals. Anyone involved with designing, creating, operating, renovating and/or demolishing structures in the built environment will also highly benefit from this course.

• Applying sustainable construction principles
• Sustainable building design procurement and delivery
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Implementing environmental management systems