Awareness of the LEED requirements for green housing development among built-environment professionals in Nigeria

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to assess the gap in the awareness of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements for green housing development among built-environment professionals in meeting the housing need in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a cross-sectional survey of built-environment professionals in the Physical Planning Units (PPUs) of Federal Tertiary Educational Institutions in South-Western Nigeria. The LEED v4 scoring system for New Construction and Renovation was adopted for the survey questionnaire on five point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using the MIS and Kruskal–Wallis Rank sum Test.FindingsAwareness of the LEED requirements varies across the categories. Sustainable site is ranked first while innovation and regional priority ranked from the rear. There is variation in awareness among the professionals. The Land Surveyors are followed by the Architects while the Builders ranked last.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of the study is limited to the professionals in the PPUs in the study area. However, the findings are indicative. The low level of awareness of some of the requirements and the extent of variation among the professionals will negatively impact the integrated design approach and collaborative effort needed for green housing to meet the housing deficit in Nigeria.Practical implicationsThe study is limited in scope. The low level of awareness of the requirements coupled with the extent of variation among the professionals will negatively impact the integrated design approach and collaborative effort needed for green housing to meet the huge housing deficit in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe study takes the lead to assess the awareness of the requirements for green housing development based on the LEED impact categories. Improving the awareness of these requirements will enhance their implementation and consequently impact the quality of housing provision. The professionals need to bridge the knowledge gap to enhance collaboration and productivity for green housing development.