INTEGRATING HERITAGE AND SUSTAINABILITY: A STAKEHOLDER EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING THE GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) FOR HISTORICAL BUILDINGS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Abstract

The increasing emphasis on sustainable development has led to the integration of green certification systems such as the Green Building Index (GBI) in Malaysia's construction sector. However, the application of GBI in historic building projects presents unique challenges due to the inherent conflict between conservation principles and contemporary sustainability standards. The primary aim of this research is to examine the deficiencies of existing practices, and the issues and challenges associated with the application of the Green Building Index for historical buildings in Malaysia.  An interview framework was established by selecting experts and stakeholders from the conservation industry for a session that included a Heritage Conservator and a B03 contractor Project Manager. Interviews were undertaken to gather individuals' thoughts and experiences regarding sustainable practices in heritage conservation initiatives. The findings shows that the challenges mostly stem from concerns related to the predominant emerging themes are: (C1) Regulatory and Principles Constraints; (C2) Technical and Design Constraints; (C3) Lack of Stakeholder Awareness, recorded five times; (C5) Resistance to Change by Stakeholders; (C6) High Initial Cost, recorded three times; and finally, (C4) Lack of Incentives, recorded two times. Thus, there is an urgent necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration in the creation of heritage-sensitive green technologies that honour sustainability objectives and conservation ethics, alongside integrated governance models that foster synergy rather than discord between conservation and sustainability.