Sustainable Development in Architecture

Author:

Abstract: This study discusses the role of green and sustainable architecture.

It also includes the methodological frameworks to assess the decision making during the process of designing an
architectural sustainable project. Three methods are presented which are (1) Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, (2) Social Return of Investment (SROI) Analysis, and (3)
Stakeholder Analysis (SA).

These methods are pivotal in determining the needed processes in developing and designing a sustainable
building for all end users.

The study also presents the organizations for the certification of green building in the Philippines settings which
are Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE), Advancing Net Zero Philippines
(ANZ/PH), and Health + Well-being for Buildings (H+W).

Keywords: Sustainable Architecture; Green Architecture; Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC); Philippine Green
Building Certification Program (PHILCERT); Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT);
Social Return of Investment (SROI); Stakeholder Analysis (SA); Building for Ecologically Responsive Design
Excellence (BERDE); Advancing Net Zero Philippines (ANZ/PH): Health + Well-being for Buildings (H+W).

INTRODUCTION
Sustainable architecture and green architecture are two distinct architectural approaches to designing healthy
and sustainable buildings. This approach considers different environmental factors that may affect the built
environment.
This architectural approach focuses on minimizing the negative effects of the building, making it more
resource-efficient and low-cost maintenance. The main goals of sustainable and green buildings are the
comfort and safety of the occupants, calm visual appeal, reducing the cost of maintenance, promoting eco-
friendly practices, and lowering the environmental impact.
In the Philippines, a comprehensive tool and parameters are used by the Philippines Green Building Council
(PHILGBC) to engage and actively promote sustainability in construction. This sustainable initiative is in
line with the Philippine Green Building Certification Program (PHILCERT).
To undergo PHILCERT, the project should apply to PHILCERT for registration, formal assessment, and
certification to accomplish the certification process.
The administrators are using the latest sustainable tool and technology to assess the sustainability of a building
during the formal assessment. The project should comply with the administrator’s environmental laws,
standards, and regulations.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In the study of Iwuanyanwu et al., The role of green building materials in sustainable architecture:
innovations, challenges, and future trends showed that the role of green building materials is pivotal in
advancing sustainable architecture.
The materials used in green building design have the capability of resource conservation, minimal
environmental harm, and energy efficiency. With this, the materials promote eco-friendliness during
construction and even in the application and workability of these materials into the building.
Their study also demonstrates the new innovations which can be used in green building which includes the
biodegradable, bio-based products, recycled materials, upcycled materials, and high performance insulation
technologies. These innovative materials are relevant in the contemporary needs in promoting green
architecture and sustainability.

1
Contrary to the advantages of using green building materials, it faces disadvantages in adoption. As the
materials mentioned have several challenges, which are supply chain issues, durability concerns, and high
initial cost. That is why overcoming these challenges is relevant in promoting green architecture.
The study of Martek et al., The Sustainability Narrative in Contemporary Architecture: Falling Short of
Building a Sustainable Future, addressed reviews on the fundamental issues in the assessment of green
building tools for sustainability.
The researchers stated that sustainability itself is not just always about the environment or the economy, it is
about fairness.
In the workplace, health, well-being, and the standard of the work environment must be upheld; housing
should be reasonably priced; and amenities like access to parks, schools, and transportation must be taken
into account. The framework of the rating tools is also incorporating these dimensions.
In order to support the decision-making process towards sustainable architecture, an integrated assessment
framework was used. It aims to discuss methodological analysis on the evaluation of sustainable architectural
projects.
The framework used the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, Social Return
of Investment (SROI), and Stakeholder Analysis (SA) to examine and understand the design strategies,
strategic view of the people involved, and social assessment impact.

BODY OF THE PAPER

Both studies presented in the review of related literature presents the relevant and coexistence of green and
sustainable architecture. However the later study presents a more specific framework and methodology to
support the decision making in the process of sustainable architecture.
Comparative Table: Pros and cons of the adopted methods in the framework

Method Pros Cons

SWOT Analysis SWOT is easy to communicate, can be The simplicity of the

constructed quickly and helps identify methodology can lead us to
the most influential factors that affect consider it as a superficial list,
the project making it vague and simplistic
in its structure.

The SWOT analysis was characterized as a strategy planning tool for gathering the massive amounts of data
needed to rationalize decision-making processes. The SWOT analysis is a unified approach in the field of
environmental assessment because it aims to provide the influence of various factors on the decision context.

Method Pros Cons

Stakeholders Analysis The technique helps to identify the SA analysis requires special
power and interest of the actors efforts for identifying the right
involved. stakeholders and their
interrelationship.

Stakeholders are regarded as the actors that influence or are impacted by a project in the strategic management
process. Instead of concentrating on each stakeholder separately, strategic management should consider all
the various stakeholders that have an impact on one another through complex interactions. In this regard, SA
as a method for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data is a useful tool used throughout the project

2
lifecycle that aids in identifying, categorizing, and evaluating the process's stakeholders.

Method Pros Cons

Social Return of Taking into account the social, The long and complex process
Investment Analysis economic, and environmental benefits, for defining the monetary value
the tool provides more information than of the intangible aspects could
just the financial problems. led to inaccurate values.

In the context of the social enterprise, where it is pertinent to look into not only the financial and economic
aspects but, more importantly, the social and environmental ones, the SROI evaluation emerges. The SROI
is a useful tool for comprehending, managing, and reporting the social, environmental, and economic impacts
in order to map the change, enhance the quality of the works, and obtain successful interventions from the
perspective of sustainable architecture. In an environment where the need to measure social and
environmental benefits is growing and becoming more significant at both public and private levels.
Going back to the Philippine context, the PHILGBC provides three organizations for the assessment and
application for green building certifications. These are the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design
Excellence (BERDE), Advancing Net Zero Philippines (ANZ/PH), and Health + Well-being for Buildings
(H+W). These organizations are important in addressing environmental concerns and the promotion of
sustainable building in the country. They serve as the pillar for investing in the future of the people and the
longevity of sustainable and green architecture.
Information Table 2: Used of BERDE, ANZ/PH, and H+W organizations.

Organization Use

BERDE BERDE can be used for designing, construction, operation, planning,

implementation or green building projects, district, community, or campus.

ANZ/PH ANZ/PH can be used to help transform the design, construction, and
operations of the project to the net zero goal.

H+W H+W can be used to address social, environmental, and economic

priorities which can affect the end users’ health and well-being

Information Table 2: Governing organizations for green building in the Philippines

Organization Use

PHILGBC The Philippine Green Building Council is an active organization in

promoting sustainability by providing comprehensive tools in construction
industry

PHILCERT A project that seeks certification should comply with the standards and
laws set by the Philippine Green Building Certification Program.

LESSON LEARNED
With all the information presented on the studies mentioned in the review of related literature, promoting
3
sustainable architecture in the Philippines is crucial. With all the environmental issues surrounding the
country, the role of architects is relevant to minimize the effects of structure in the built environment by using
green building materials. But it is also important to address the challenges in sustainability.
The Philippines being a tropical country and located in the Pacific Ring of Fire where natural disasters
constantly struck the country, the strength of materials for sustainable buildings should be examined and
determined to make sure the safety of the end users.

The methods for building a framework for the assessment of sustainable buildings are also relevant. These
methods serve as guiding principles for individuals or organizations to comply with different standards both
from organizations promoting sustainable architecture and existing government laws.

There are common variables or goals to be considered when applying sustainability in architecture

Information Table 3: Common considerations

Considerations for Sustainable Architecture

Minimizing waste Reusing materials, recycling whenever possible, and avoiding needless
consumption are ways to reduce the quantity of materials, energy, and
resources that are wasted. It supports sustainability, lessens pollution, and
conserves resources.

Conserving energy One of the most crucial steps in becoming more energy efficient is
lowering the quantity of energy we consume. The demand on our available
energy resources, like fossil fuels, is decreased when we use less energy.

Environmentally good Building materials with minimal environmental impact at every stage of
materials their life cycle, including extraction, manufacturing, use, reuse, and
disposal. They are energy-efficient, long-lasting, recyclable, locally
sourced, and non-toxic. Utilizing these materials conserves natural
resources, lowers carbon emissions, and improves indoor environments.

Lowering carbon emission Means lowering the quantity of greenhouse gases released into the
atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂). This is accomplished in
architecture by reducing a building's environmental impact through the use
of energy-efficient designs, renewable energy, low-carbon building
materials, and sustainable construction techniques.

Net zero Is a design strategy where a building achieves net-zero energy use and, in
certain situations, net-zero carbon emissions by producing as much energy
as it consumes over the course of a year. Sustainable building techniques,
renewable energy systems, and energy-efficient design all help achieve
this.

Conserving water Means using effective design and management to cut down on water use
and avoid waste. This includes employing rainwater collection, water-
saving fixtures, and wastewater recycling in architecture to lower overall
water consumption and safeguard natural water resources.

4
CONCLUSION
In the research question “Is There a Truly a Sustainable Building in Architecture?” In my opinion and
understanding based on the research I made throughout this research paper, there is no existing building which
we can consider as fully sustainable. But there are still buildings that are applying the sustainability features
to help reduce the effect of the building in the built environment for the future.
My answer supports the fact that from the start, until the operation of the building, it continuously consumes
different resources. With these factors, I can say that the building can only reduce its negative effects but it
cannot fully disintegrate these considerations for it to function and operate.
The approach of sustainable architecture only minimizes the prevalent negative effect of structures in the built
environment.

-End-

REFERENCES

Marsh, J. (2026). What is Green Architecture, and Why is it Essential for Sustainable Living? Blog Chaos.
[Link]

Iwuanyanwu, O. et al., (2024). The role of green building materials in sustainable architecture: Innovations,
Challenges, and future trends. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Science. DOI:
[Link]

Lami, I., and Mecca, B. (2020). Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture. DOI:
[Link]

Martek, I., et al., (2018). The Sustainability Narrative in Contemporary Architecture: Falling Short of
Building a Sustainable Future. DOI: [Link]

Philippine Green Building Council. (n.d). Certification. DOI: [Link]

Sustainable Development in Architecture

Author:

Abstract: This study discusses the role of green and sustainable architecture.

It also includes the methodological frameworks to assess the decision making during the process of designing an
architectural sustainable project. Three methods are presented which are (1) Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, (2) Social Return of Investment (SROI) Analysis, and (3)
Stakeholder Analysis (SA).

These methods are pivotal in determining the needed processes in developing and designing a sustainable
building for all end users.

The study also presents the organizations for the certification of green building in the Philippines settings which
are Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE), Advancing Net Zero Philippines
(ANZ/PH), and Health + Well-being for Buildings (H+W).

Keywords: Sustainable Architecture; Green Architecture; Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC); Philippine Green
Building Certification Program (PHILCERT); Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT);
Social Return of Investment (SROI); Stakeholder Analysis (SA); Building for Ecologically Responsive Design
Excellence (BERDE); Advancing Net Zero Philippines (ANZ/PH): Health + Well-being for Buildings (H+W).

INTRODUCTION
Sustainable architecture and green architecture are two distinct architectural approaches to designing healthy
1
and sustainable buildings. This approach considers different environmental factors that may affect the built
environment.
This architectural approach focuses on minimizing the negative effects of the building, making it more
resource-efficient and low-cost maintenance. The main goals of sustainable and green buildings are the
comfort and safety of the occupants, calm visual appeal, reducing the cost of maintenance, promoting eco-
friendly practices, and lowering the environmental impact.
In the Philippines, a comprehensive tool and parameters are used by the Philippines Green Building Council
(PHILGBC) to engage and actively promote sustainability in construction. This sustainable initiative is in
line with the Philippine Green Building Certification Program (PHILCERT).
To undergo PHILCERT, the project should apply to PHILCERT for registration, formal assessment, and
certification to accomplish the certification process.
The administrators are using the latest sustainable tool and technology to assess the sustainability of a building
during the formal assessment. The project should comply with the administrator’s environmental laws,
standards, and regulations.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In the study of Iwuanyanwu et al., The role of green building materials in sustainable architecture:
innovations, challenges, and future trends showed that the role of green building materials is pivotal in
advancing sustainable architecture.
The materials used in green building design have the capability of resource conservation, minimal
environmental harm, and energy efficiency. With this, the materials promote eco-friendliness during
construction and even in the application and workability of these materials into the building.
Their study also demonstrates the new innovations which can be used in green building which includes the
biodegradable, bio-based products, recycled materials, upcycled materials, and high performance insulation
technologies. These innovative materials are relevant in the contemporary needs in promoting green
architecture and sustainability.
Contrary to the advantages of using green building materials, it faces disadvantages in adoption. As the
materials mentioned have several challenges, which are supply chain issues, durability concerns, and high
initial cost. That is why overcoming these challenges is relevant in promoting green architecture.
The study of Martek et al., The Sustainability Narrative in Contemporary Architecture: Falling Short of
Building a Sustainable Future, addressed reviews on the fundamental issues in the assessment of green
building tools for sustainability.
The researchers stated that sustainability itself is not just always about the environment or the economy, it is
about fairness.
In the workplace, health, well-being, and the standard of the work environment must be upheld; housing
should be reasonably priced; and amenities like access to parks, schools, and transportation must be taken
into account. The framework of the rating tools is also incorporating these dimensions.
In order to support the decision-making process towards sustainable architecture, an integrated assessment
framework was used. It aims to discuss methodological analysis on the evaluation of sustainable architectural
projects.
The framework used the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, Social Return
of Investment (SROI), and Stakeholder Analysis (SA) to examine and understand the design strategies,
strategic view of the people involved, and social assessment impact.

BODY OF THE PAPER

Both studies presented in the review of related literature presents the relevant and coexistence of green and
2
sustainable architecture. However the later study presents a more specific framework and methodology to
support the decision making in the process of sustainable architecture.
Comparative Table: Pros and cons of the adopted methods in the framework

Method Pros Cons

SWOT Analysis SWOT is easy to communicate, can be The simplicity of the

constructed quickly and helps identify methodology can lead us to
the most influential factors that affect consider it as a superficial list,
the project making it vague and simplistic
in its structure.

The SWOT analysis was characterized as a strategy planning tool for gathering the massive amounts of data
needed to rationalize decision-making processes. The SWOT analysis is a unified approach in the field of
environmental assessment because it aims to provide the influence of various factors on the decision context.

Method Pros Cons

Stakeholders Analysis The technique helps to identify the SA analysis requires special
power and interest of the actors efforts for identifying the right
involved. stakeholders and their
interrelationship.

Stakeholders are regarded as the actors that influence or are impacted by a project in the strategic management
process. Instead of concentrating on each stakeholder separately, strategic management should consider all
the various stakeholders that have an impact on one another through complex interactions. In this regard, SA
as a method for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data is a useful tool used throughout the project
lifecycle that aids in identifying, categorizing, and evaluating the process's stakeholders.

Method Pros Cons

Social Return of Taking into account the social, The long and complex process
Investment Analysis economic, and environmental benefits, for defining the monetary value
the tool provides more information than of the intangible aspects could
just the financial problems. led to inaccurate values.

In the context of the social enterprise, where it is pertinent to look into not only the financial and economic
aspects but, more importantly, the social and environmental ones, the SROI evaluation emerges. The SROI
is a useful tool for comprehending, managing, and reporting the social, environmental, and economic impacts
in order to map the change, enhance the quality of the works, and obtain successful interventions from the
perspective of sustainable architecture. In an environment where the need to measure social and
environmental benefits is growing and becoming more significant at both public and private levels.
Going back to the Philippine context, the PHILGBC provides three organizations for the assessment and
application for green building certifications. These are the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design
Excellence (BERDE), Advancing Net Zero Philippines (ANZ/PH), and Health + Well-being for Buildings
(H+W). These organizations are important in addressing environmental concerns and the promotion of
sustainable building in the country. They serve as the pillar for investing in the future of the people and the
longevity of sustainable and green architecture.
Information Table 2: Used of BERDE, ANZ/PH, and H+W organizations.
3
 Organization Use

BERDE BERDE can be used for designing, construction, operation, planning,

implementation or green building projects, district, community, or campus.

ANZ/PH ANZ/PH can be used to help transform the design, construction, and
operations of the project to the net zero goal.

H+W H+W can be used to address social, environmental, and economic

priorities which can affect the end users’ health and well-being

Information Table 2: Governing organizations for green building in the Philippines

Organization Use

PHILGBC The Philippine Green Building Council is an active organization in

promoting sustainability by providing comprehensive tools in construction
industry

PHILCERT A project that seeks certification should comply with the standards and
laws set by the Philippine Green Building Certification Program.

LESSON LEARNED
With all the information presented on the studies mentioned in the review of related literature, promoting
sustainable architecture in the Philippines is crucial. With all the environmental issues surrounding the
country, the role of architects is relevant to minimize the effects of structure in the built environment by using
green building materials. But it is also important to address the challenges in sustainability.
The Philippines being a tropical country and located in the Pacific Ring of Fire where natural disasters
constantly struck the country, the strength of materials for sustainable buildings should be examined and
determined to make sure the safety of the end users.

The methods for building a framework for the assessment of sustainable buildings are also relevant. These
methods serve as guiding principles for individuals or organizations to comply with different standards both
from organizations promoting sustainable architecture and existing government laws.

There are common variables or goals to be considered when applying sustainability in architecture

Information Table 3: Common considerations

Considerations for Sustainable Architecture

Minimizing waste Reusing materials, recycling whenever possible, and avoiding needless
consumption are ways to reduce the quantity of materials, energy, and
resources that are wasted. It supports sustainability, lessens pollution, and
conserves resources.

Conserving energy One of the most crucial steps in becoming more energy efficient is
lowering the quantity of energy we consume. The demand on our available
4
 energy resources, like fossil fuels, is decreased when we use less energy.

Environmentally good Building materials with minimal environmental impact at every stage of
materials their life cycle, including extraction, manufacturing, use, reuse, and
disposal. They are energy-efficient, long-lasting, recyclable, locally
sourced, and non-toxic. Utilizing these materials conserves natural
resources, lowers carbon emissions, and improves indoor environments.

Lowering carbon emission Means lowering the quantity of greenhouse gases released into the
atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂). This is accomplished in
architecture by reducing a building's environmental impact through the use
of energy-efficient designs, renewable energy, low-carbon building
materials, and sustainable construction techniques.

Net zero Is a design strategy where a building achieves net-zero energy use and, in
certain situations, net-zero carbon emissions by producing as much energy
as it consumes over the course of a year. Sustainable building techniques,
renewable energy systems, and energy-efficient design all help achieve
this.

Conserving water Means using effective design and management to cut down on water use
and avoid waste. This includes employing rainwater collection, water-
saving fixtures, and wastewater recycling in architecture to lower overall
water consumption and safeguard natural water resources.

5
CONCLUSION
In the research question “Is There a Truly a Sustainable Building in Architecture?” In my opinion and
understanding based on the research I made throughout this research paper, there is no existing building which
we can consider as fully sustainable. But there are still buildings that are applying the sustainability features
to help reduce the effect of the building in the built environment for the future.
My answer supports the fact that from the start, until the operation of the building, it continuously consumes
different resources. With these factors, I can say that the building can only reduce its negative effects but it
cannot fully disintegrate these considerations for it to function and operate.
The approach of sustainable architecture only minimizes the prevalent negative effect of structures in the built
environment.

-End-

REFERENCES

Marsh, J. (2026). What is Green Architecture, and Why is it Essential for Sustainable Living? Blog Chaos.
[Link]

Iwuanyanwu, O. et al., (2024). The role of green building materials in sustainable architecture: Innovations,
Challenges, and future trends. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Science. DOI:
[Link]

Lami, I., and Mecca, B. (2020). Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture. DOI:
[Link]

Martek, I., et al., (2018). The Sustainability Narrative in Contemporary Architecture: Falling Short of
Building a Sustainable Future. DOI: [Link]

Philippine Green Building Council. (n.d). Certification. DOI: [Link]