The pandemic readiness assessment of building design and engineering service-related legislation in Kazakhstan and the EU

PurposeThe current COVID-19 pandemic is influencing our life in every aspect, including working and living environments. Millions of people were forced to isolate themselves in their homes, which has posed significant pressure on buildings and shown us that our dwellings are not designed for such purposes. This is partly due to the fact that homes are designed and built for occasional use rather than isolated and long-term occupation. The legislative system of a country plays an important role in defining and shaping the conditions of people living there. Hence, the aim of the study is to evaluate the readiness of Kazakhstani and the EU construction-related legislation for pandemics.Design/methodology/approachPreviously developed pandemic-resilient indicators were used for the evaluation of construction legislation. Both legislative systems were reviewed, and the quality of responses was evaluated by assigning response scores.FindingsThe results based on response scores indicate that the environmental resource consumption sub-category was better covered by EU legislation. At the same time, the buildings' health, safety and comfort are better taken into account in Kazakhstani legislation. Seven pandemic-resilient indicators were not responded to by any legislative system indicating a gap between current legislation and requirements for new living conditions.Originality/valueNo study has analyzed how COVID-19 can transform construction legislation. The study reveals the limitation of current construction legislation in Kazakhstan (KZ) and the EU, indicating the need for transformation to meet the requirements of the pandemic era.

Effects of the residential built environment on remote work productivity and satisfaction during COVID-19 lockdowns: An analysis of workers' perceptions.

COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay home and switch to the remote working mode, which - reportedly - affect job satisfaction and productivity. The present study investigates the relationship between the residential environment and worker's job satisfaction and productivity in the remote working mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. A hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) of the influencing factors is constructed based on a literature review and experts' opinions. A survey-based respondents' opinions (n = 2276) were then used to test and analyze the model. The model results reveal that a residential built environment has an indirect effect on both remote work satisfaction and productivity. However, among all the factors, comfortable space (separate space and ergonomic furniture) is found to be the most important. This study presents the importance of adopting a residential built environment to respond to a crisis like a pandemic in achieving the desired comfort level of remote work. Although this study provides a holistic approach, it also proposes a base for the future country-specific analysis by providing some possible countries' differences.

Household Water and Energy Consumption Changes during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns: Cases of the Kazakhstani Cities of Almaty, Shymkent, and Atyrau

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the daily behaviors of people by forcing them to spend the majority of their time in their residences, particularly during social distancing measures. The increased time spent at home is expected to influence, among other things, the daily consumption of utilities: specifically, water and energy. A prolonged presence of residents at home during COVID-19 lockdowns might increase strain on water and energy resources, which are mostly from non-renewable sources in several countries, including Kazakhstan;however, such potentially important effects have not yet been studied for the country. The present research aims to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have affected the water and energy consumption in residential housings in cities of varying sizes in Kazakhstan, providing a novel understanding of the effect of pandemic lockdowns on household energy and water consumption. Energy and water consumption data of Almaty, Shymkent, and Atyrau have been first obtained from the local service companies, and then, the usage behavior was analyzed for the periods before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. After, statistical tests were conducted to check the hypotheses regarding the effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on the consumption of energy and water. The findings indicate that residential energy and water consumption increased during the lockdown periods in large and medium cities. Nevertheless, this growth is not highly significant compared to similar non-pandemic timeframes. This result could indicate a particular risk for sustainable resources consumption and put pressure on the supply companies. Moreover, in case of further lockdown measures, current building systems are at risk of increased pressure, and eventually, of failure.

Which qualities should built environment possess to ensure satisfaction of higher-education students with remote education during pandemics?

The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly switched most education processes from face-to-face to remote mode, obliging millions of students to utilize their residences as study spaces. However, the characteristics of their residential built environments differ in terms of regional, social, cultural, and technological aspects. These differences should impact the students' performance and satisfaction which needs to be measured and studied. The present study aims to identify the effect of the residential built environment on students' satisfaction and academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was conducted in two countries, Kazakhstan (KZ) and Norway (NO), using a comprehensive online survey to gather data. An empirical assessment based on the structural equation model was employed to identify links between health, safety, and comfort of students' facilities and academic performance and satisfaction. We conclude that the built environment affects both satisfaction for remote education and their learning performance. Significant differences in readiness for remote education have been observed between urban and non-urban living areas: (1) The role of health-and-safety convenience seems to increase with the urbanization level of the respondents' living spaces; (2) in contrast, for non-urban residents, the provision of comfort facilities is dominant. In the meantime, an analysis "by regions" revealed that health-and-safety-related facilities in residences are more critical for remote education in Central Asia (KZ). In contrast, the comfort features of residences being more important for the students studying remotely in Northern Europe (NO). These results provide an understanding that would assist in improving remote education and preparing pandemic-ready living areas.

Assessment method for new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings.

The method presented in this paper aims to support the sustainability assessment methods of residential buildings under pandemic conditions. The main purpose of the study is to review existing criteria of the well-known assessment tools and then to suggest a set of assessment measures for the emerging pandemic-resilient indicators. Current sustainability assessment methodologies mostly focus on the conventional sustainability pillars (Environmental, Social, Economic), whereas the proposed emerging sustainability assessment indicators include changes in sustainability requirements brought by the current pandemic. Firstly, a set of indicators with possible measures was identified; then, we reviewed several existing green building certification systems to identify their gaps and developed a foundation for each indicator. Finally, several round table discussions involving various stakeholders (e.g., engineers, designers, health care experts, academics) were conducted to consolidate the identified measures. The findings of the present study indicate that certain pandemic-resilient indicators are not fully addressed by existing assessment tools, pointing out the importance of the development of new measures to make them more suitable to use under pandemic conditions. Thus, the present study contributes to the building assessment methods by proposing a set of emerging assessment indicators with measures, which can be used by various professionals that would contribute to more sustainable buildings in upcoming pandemics.•A 5-point scale was used to assess the indicators, and various stakeholders in a previous study identified their weights.•The methodology introduces new pandemic-related indicators into the conventional sustainability concept.•The assessment measures are rapid and economically efficient to apply for any residential building.

Stakeholder based weights of new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings.

During COVID-19, the building and service characteristics of residential buildings turned out to be more critical due to lockdowns. The present research assesses the importance of new sustainability indicators for residential buildings in three categories (e.g., Health and Safety, Environmental Resources Consumption, and Comfort) that provide resilience for pandemic periods. The opinions of stakeholders on the identified indicators were collected and then analyzed. 'Health and Safety' category is found to be the most critical among the others. The prevention of virus propagation, mental health, and building air quality are three crucial indicators playing essential roles in the health and safety category. In more detail, innovative smart technologies, including touchless technologies, are identified as a priority in preventing virus propagation. Outdoor spaces and safe indoor places for socialization are weighted as essential in supporting the well-being and mental health of the resident. Finally, air filtration and segregation of medical waste indicators are considered critical in preventing the spread of viruses. There was a consensus among the local and international experts since they did not significantly report differing opinions for the majority of the indicators. However, there was a shift in experts' opinions towards pandemic-oriented indicators compared to conventional sustainability indicators.

Readiness Assessment of Green Building Certification Systems for Residential Buildings during Pandemics

One of the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic is the momentum it has created for global changes affecting various aspects of daily lives. Among these, green building certification systems (GBCSs) should not be left behind as significant potential modifications may be required to ensure their versatility for residential buildings due to the new pandemic reality. The present study aims to evaluate the readiness of chosen GBCSs for a proper assessment of existing residential housing sustainability in a post-pandemic world. Based on a literature review of the state-of-the-art data sources and round table discussions, the present study proposes a particular set of sustainability indicators covering special sustainability requirements under pandemic conditions. Then, those indicators are used to evaluate the readiness of selected GBCSs (BREEAM, LEED, WELL, CASBEE) to meet new pandemic-resilient requirements based on their responses to the indicators. The assessment shows that none of the reviewed GBCSs are fully ready to cover all the proposed indicators. GBCSs have differing focuses on particular sustainability pillars, which also affected their responses to pandemic-resilient categories. For instance, WELL rating system successfully responded to the health and safety category, whereas LEED showed better preparedness in terms of environmental efficiency. BREEAM and CASBEE systems have a more evenly distributed attention to all three pandemic-resilient categories (Health & Safety, Environmental Resources Consumption, and Comfort) with an accent on the Comfort category. On a specific note, all GBCSs are insufficiently prepared for waste and wastewater management. In the future, GBCSs should be modified to better adapt to pandemic conditions, for which the current work may provide a basis. As an alternative, brand new standards can be created to face newly arising and evolving post-pandemic requirements.

How is COVID-19 Experience Transforming Sustainability Requirements of Residential Buildings? A Review

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing about changes, and alongside these, we can alter the way we design our living spaces. The need for a healthy and comfortable living space is essential to mental and physical well-being. The present study covers the most up-to-date documents, including peer-reviewed papers, blog posts, news, journal articles, and expert opinions, to critically review lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates the expected changes in sustainability requirements of residential buildings. Health and safety, environment, and comfort are the three main aspects of residential buildings that have been tested during quarantines and are also expected to experience major transformations toward sustainability. Residential houses should provide certain health and safety protective measures to their occupants, such as the application of new touchless technologies, having proper sanitation to diminish the probability of getting infected, and developing greener and more intimate spaces that can help recover and improve mental states. Our findings address the need to reconsider sustainability requirements for residential buildings, which will provide adequate health and safety and comfort with no significant harm to the environment.