| This research incorporated the AHP Multi-Attribute Model developed by Herkert et al to Pearce et al's Sustainability Decision Support System Conceptual Framework in order to develop a new decision-making framework for aiding institutional owners as they consider use of specific LEED-NC 2.2 Sustainable Sites (SS) and Water Efficiency (WE) credits for their projects.; The researcher has conducted literature review to identify existing decision-making frameworks for sustainable development as well as recent studies addressing environmental, community and economic issues of U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits with emphasis on SS and WE credits. The researcher identified decision-making attributes, which influence a decision whether or not to use specific LEED SS and WE credits, through existing data collected at a collaborative work session of design professionals, held at Michigan State University, and interviews of four case study projects, to address use of SS and WE credits of LEED. The researcher identified and presented these attributes, relevant to each credit, and finally, a new framework based on Herkert and Pearce's work was developed for institutional owners for helping them to decide whether or not to pursue individual LEED SS and WE credits for their projects. |
