Sustainable Buildings for Sustainable Community in the Emirate of Ajman – UAE

Abstract

The need for sustainable buildings is growing sharply recently. Many governments are aware of climate change consequences and that targets for sustainable development’s goals are achieved. Buildings are considered as the most significant single contributor to global energy consumption and CO₂ emission. Sustainable buildings should be designed to improve the wellbeing of the people who work in them and the communities that surround them. Flexibility and mixed use should be considered in the central heart of the design aspects to guarantee the improved wellbeing of the besieged communities. Energy-efficient buildings are one of the challenges that needed to be maintained with a proper energy rating regulating systems for these targets. Scientists have started intensively over the last 7 years to raise awareness and introduce bases for possible regulations to be implemented by authorities to assure those new buildings built to robust energy performance standards and regulations. Buildings’ energy performance assessment and the associated certification is a critical factor for this development.

Moreover, the indoor air quality is of the significant sustainable community needs that should well be monitored and sustainably maintained. Well-proposed ways of communication between the communities and the corresponding buildings’ owners need to be initiated to achieve sustainability for the buildings-community combination. To achieve sustainable construction and energy efficiency, minor and significant developments are required for residential and non-residential buildings. Significant growth will achieve reductions in CO₂ emissions with the use of renewable energy or low/zero-carbon energy generation unless it demonstrates that such an application is not technically or economically viable. In addition, technology can be introduced to facilitate the interrelationship between the sustainability buildings-community combination. This research is to review the latest technologies and policies regarding sustainable buildings, aiming to support decision-makers to start initiatives to regulate and control existing and new buildings. Energy targets are more likely to be achieved when such practices implemented in selected regions. This work is to review the most applicable concepts and practices that support the development of sustainable building-community combination efforts for the Emirate of Ajman – UAE.