Othman, A A E (2009) Corporate social responsibility of architectural design firms towards a sustainable built environment in South Africa. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 5(1-2), pp. 36-45. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
The construction industry makes a vital contribution to the social and economic development of every country. Buildings provide their users with places for housing, education, culture, medication, business, leisure and entertainment. None of these buildings will perform its function unless supported with efficient road networks, superlative telecommunications facilities, water and electricity. On the other hand, the construction industry has major impacts on the environment. It is a very large consumer of non-renewable resources, a substantial source of waste, pollution, land dereliction and energy consumption. This highlights the responsibility of present generations to use the available resources in a way that enables them to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Since architects are one of the main players in the construction industry, this research aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of South African architectural design firms (SAADF). This was achieved through a questionnaire and a small number of interviews with respondents. Combined, this provided a unique insight into an important aspect of sustainable design management.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architectural design firms; built environment; corporate social responsibility; South Africa; sustainability |
| Index terms: | economic development, interview, pollution, renewable resources, sustainable design, construction industry, corporate social responsibility, land, South Africa, architectural design, housing, energy consumption, telecommunication, architect, built environment, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, infrastructure and transport systems, environmental health, economic development, design practice, health safety and environment, Geography, design process, communication, real estate economics, environmental resource management, energy systems, construction type, profession, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Design Practice, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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