TABLE OF CONTENTS - The Professional Green Building Council

Theme B: Creating a livable, healthy and environmentally viable cities6. ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS: IN PURSUIT OF ECONOMICSUSTAINABILITYThe economic performance of an organisation provides the key to its success andhence its sustainability. Cost effectiveness is critical to the HA because decisionson any aspect of the housing programme from design, through construction, tooperations and maintenance will have such an impact on the public purse. Costefficiencyis being achieved through a number of measures, including the listing ofsome of our assets and implementing management measures to sustain the usefullife of our existing buildings. Management measures to get the best returns out ofthe HA resources are constantly reviewed. Enforcing better tenancy controls toreduce the abuses of public housing, more efficient maintenance services andhence upgraded assets via the Total Maintenance Scheme and reducing vacanciesin flats are very important areas.6.1 Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle AssessmentIn view of the large stock of buildings and its large customer base, the HA has aculture of using simple designs and materials that are long-lasting, easy to care forand environmentally friendly. Life cycle cost and life cycle assessment areimportant components of a building’s performance, both in the design of newbuildings and their future management. In 2002 to 2005, the HA commissionedconsultants to carry out a study of life cycle costing and assessment on its typicaldomestic buildings. The study confirmed that the materials that are used, achievean optimum environmental performance and life cycle cost effectiveness (Photo 6).Designers are now using this life cycle costing and life cycle assessment softwareto help them make decisions on the choice of new materials in future designs andthereby help to reduce HA’s maintenance burden in future.306