PLANNING THE LIFE CYCLE OF GREEN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FROM A PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Green commercial building construction faces a high demand in Singapore’s construction industry due to its ability to meet the demanding economical goals without causing excessive strain on the environment. Although there is considerable stress on environmental awareness and the concept of sustainable construction is no longer new, various project life cycle phases are persistently neglected by project managers. This study examines the importance of a complete project life cycle towards attaining project management goals, with emphasis placed on the initiation phase. It also explores the effects of project managers’ reliance on green rating systems. This study will identify and illustrate critical success factors (CSFs) for pre-construction stages as well as general green project management obstacles using the following methods: Gathering primary responses through survey questionnaire; holding interviews with the project managers in the local construction industry; as well as conducting extensive literature review on project management for green commercial buildings. The results of the study show that project managers are highly motivated by green rating systems as well as highlight obstacles that hinder complete green project management. The key recommendations for this study include a revised green project management framework and a tool for integration to ensure smoother executions of project life cycles when achieving project management goals.