The role of facilities management in green retrofit of existing buildings in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Purpose Green retrofitting is acknowledged as an essential strategy toward achieving long-term sustainability in the built environment. To implement this strategy successfully, the role of facility managers cannot be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate present practices that are used in managing the existing facilities, to highlight the elements that govern the process of green retrofitting, and discuss the efforts and contribution of facility managers in enhancing the environmental performance of the existing facilities stock in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach This study suggests that an adequate level of awareness of the benefits of green retrofit amongst owners and decision-makers is mostly dependent on facilities management (FM) professionals, who must establish effective communication channel with senior management. FM professionals in the UAE are well equipped and competent in greening existing buildings and can simultaneously lead a building to the path of achieving green building certification. Findings To examine the role of FM in a green retrofit and its current status in the UAE built environment, a two-step qualitative method was adopted. The study started by conducting semi-structured interviews with FM professionals and then assessing the insights obtained from the interviews against an actual case study of a LEED Existing Building certified facility. Research limitations/implications Interviews were limited to FM professionals in the private sector and the results from one case study should be considered cautiously. Originality/value This paper emphasizes the primordial role of FM professionals in promoting green retrofit in the UAE.

Key Performance Indicators for Evaluation of Commercial Building Retrofits: Shortlisting via an Industry Survey

“…Responsible for managing both buildings and the relevant stakeholders (e.g., owners, occupants, tenants), FM practitioners have to communicate with retrofitting decision makers and facility users, modify facilities, upgrade systems for energy use, and develop mechanisms for measuring energy consumption, monitoring energy use process, and assessing energy performance [34,35]. Thus, FM practitioners play critical roles in supporting decision making on building retrofits, and their opinions on KPIs for building retrofit performance are useful.…”

Examine the role of the latest technology in risk management of conservingheritage buildings in Egypt A Literature Review

“…Furthermore, it is a discipline that comprises strategic and tactical operations (Asbollah, Isa, & Kamaruzzaman, 2016). In terms of technical competence, FM can improve the sustainability of existing buildings and reduce their environmental impact through a 'green retrofit' process (Mawed, Mahmoud;Tilani, Vinay;Hamani, Karima, 2019). Asia & Africa is still seen as a newcomer in the sector, compared to Europe and the USA, in facilities management (Sari, 2018).…”

Environmental Enhancement through High-Rise Building Refurbishment

“…A study found that the performance outcomes of the logic model can help the residents and management to have a deep understanding in the current performance of their residential building and help to develop strategies to enhance safety and health of the residential buildings in future. Most of the considerations are related to the performance of facility management, as can be found in [14]. Consideration of the appearance and performance of communal space is also highlighted by [15].…”

“…Based on the study, the project can be evaluated based on 16 criteria that are grouped under four categories, which are economic, environmental, physical and social. Similar to [14], this study also measured the satisfaction of residents toward the building's facilities. It was also found that residents prefer to live in a new apartment compared to the old apartment, because of the attractive facilities, particularly the green communal space.…”