Tabatabaee, S; Ashour, M; Mohandes, S R; Sadeghi, H; Mahdiyar, A; Hosseini, M R and Ismail, S (2022) Deterrents to the adoption of green walls: A hybrid fuzzy-based approach. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(9), pp. 3460-3479. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: Green walls (GWs), comprising living walls and green facades, have been touted as environmentally friendly products in architectural design. GWs can be viable in every aspect of sustainability; they provide residents of buildings with a wide range of economic, social and environmental benefits. Despite this, the adoption rate of GW is still in its infancy stage, and the existing literature concerning the hindrances inhibiting GW adoption is very limited. To address these gaps, the aim of this paper is to identify and prioritize the hindrances to GW adoption in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach: After identifying 17 hindrances through an in-depth review of literature, the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is employed to refine the hindrances based on the local context with the help of 21 qualified experts in the field. Subsequently, Fuzzy Parsimonious Analytic Hierarchy Process (FPAHP) is exploited as a recently developed technique to prioritize the identified hindrances. Findings: Results reveal that the most significant hindrances to the adoption of GW are maintenance cost, high installation cost, difficulties in maintenance, sophisticated implementation and inducement to fire. Findings call for scholars to address ways to improve GW installation practices and methods in order to eradicate the hindrances and provide lessons for policymakers, assisting them in facilitating the larger-scale adoption of GW. Originality/value: Considering the dearth of studies on hindrances to the adoption of GWs, this paper provides a comprehensive outlook of the issue, providing knowledge that can be used as a building block for future scholars within the field. It also provides valuable insights for stakeholders within the construction industry about the hindrances to the adoption of GWs which could direct their efforts toward better implementation of it.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | design; fuzzy sets; green building; mcdm methods; sustainability |
| Index terms: | green building, methodology, inducement, architectural design, environmentally friendly, Hong Kong, fuzzy set, maintenance cost, fuzzy Delphi, construction industry, implementation |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, decision-making and optimization, industry analysis, design practice, management, financial management, research methods, Geography, sustainable design |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Procurement, Sustainability, Design Practice, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here