Lu Aye; Haritos, N & Mirza, MA 2008 'Issues in quantifying sustainable buildings', Futures in Mechanics of Structures and Materials, Aravinthan, Karunasena & Wang (eds), 20th Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials (ACMSM20), 1 - 2 December 2008, Toowoomba.

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a discussion surrounding issues in quantifying sustainability of buildings. The lack of a definitive concept of a sustainable building and a consensus on core aspects of sustainability makes it difficult to assess sustainability in buildings. The ever growing and competing demands of energy, environment, ecology, economy and society and their interactions, makes quantification of assessment an even more complex task. A rational approach with any hope of achieving some form of quantification in sustainability for buildings would therefore appear to be rather elusive at this point in time.

Keywords: Sustainable buildings; quantification of sustainability;