Critical success factors (CSFS) framework of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms for delivering green building projects

The building industry, which provides an indoor environment for people to live and work, has a significant impact on many of the environmental problems faced by our society. More and more experts and researchers attached great importance to Green Building, which can reduce environmental impacts, and improve working and living conditions. In the last few years, the Green Building market expanded rapidly and Green Building is gradually becoming a part of the mainstream building industry. Due to regulations and growing environmental awareness, Green Building is likely to become the norm and not the exception in the future. The Architecture/ Engineering/Construction (AEC) firms, who are responsible to transform the conceptual ideas of Green Building into “constructed reality”, now face major challenges to deliver Green Building. However, since the concept of Green Building is relatively new, many AEC firms do not know how to design and construct buildings to improve the environmental performance and get the building to be certified by the national Green Building rating system. The main objective of this research is to construct a conceptual model to help AEC firms and project team understand how to carry out Green Building projects. Based on analysis of the value chain and system frameworks for Green Building, an extension of Porter’s value chain and system models, Generic Revolution Model and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Frameworks of AEC firms are developed in this study. Generic Revolution Model proposes that Green Building is dependent on not only Green Building measures, but also support management activities. However, not much work has been done to investigate critical management activities for Green Buildings. In this research work, Generic Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Framework of AEC Firm, which mainly focuses on support management activities, is created. It postulates that the success of a Green Building project is a function of project management factors, organizational factors and external relationships. The establishment of Generic Revolution Model and CSFs framework can help AEC firms understand how to maximize their contributions to Green Building projects effectively and efficiently.Doctor of Philosophy (CEE