| There is a shortage of scholarly research on how 'green' rating systems have met designers' expectations and particularly when discussing the choice of building material. A case study of concrete masonry as a traditional building material, and LEED as the dominant rating system in the United States, was performed. Close to 90% of the award- winning designers chose concrete masonry for its 'durability' and they could not obtain a LEED credit for it. With a focus on 'durability' we studied Persepolis, an ancient site in Iran with a history of 2500 years. Persepolis is a showcase of 'durability' and other sustainability measures, which seem to have been forgotten through time. While design of energy efficient buildings can help decrease the use of fossil fuels, construction of long lasting buildings can save other resources as well. Based on the two studies and existing literature a framework is therefore developed for design, construction and operation of long lasting structures. Following this framework the building industry needs to base future 'green' rating systems on 'durability'. This will encourage the use of long lasting building material, Total Quality Management in construction phase, and early Value Engineering based on Life Cycle Financial and Environmental Costs. |
