ANALYSIS OF BREEAM, LEED, WELL, DGNB GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF VISUAL QUALITY CONSIDERATION

Abstract

Purpose. Over the past five years, the architectural community has witnessed annual changes in leading green standards aimed at incorporating credits for the visual qualities of the built environment. The primary goal of green certification systems is to encourage the design and construction of buildings that minimize environmental impact while creating a healthy human environment. Accordingly, accounting for the negative effects of architectural aesthetics on human perception is a logical and consistent step. Within the framework of the scientific topic «Environmental Certification Systems in Architecture» (State Registration No. 0123U101316), researchers at the O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv have been developing a model for a national green building standard. At the same time, the university’s architectural school maintains a strong research focus on «Visual Ecology in Architecture». The synergy of these research directions enabled the authors to study how aesthetic attributes of architecture may be integrated into the national green standard. Methodology. This study applies content analysis to the documentation of international architectural environmental certification standards (BREEAM, LEED, WELL, DGNB) in order to identify criteria that directly or indirectly address aesthetic and visual aspects of the built environment. To deepen the results, elements of comparative analysis were also applied, allowing for a systematic comparison of the approaches used by various standards to incorporate visual parameters. The analysis covers all structural components of the certification systems (credits, criteria, etc.) that consider architectural visual qualities on different levels. Results. The study examines how aesthetic aspects are integrated into the crediting systems of four major international green building standards: BREEAM, LEED, WELL, and DGNB. Given the scope of the research, further analysis of other standards not included in this publication is planned in future works. Through indepth content analysis of the textual materials, the authors identified and critically examined the principles by which aesthetic values are incorporated into environmental rating systems. Scientific novelty. For the first time, a comprehensive study of leading international environmental certification systems is conducted with a focus on the visual aspects of architectural design. In contrast to previous studies that concentrate primarily on technical or energy-related metrics, this research uncovers hidden mechanisms for integrating aesthetic criteria into the environmental assessment process. Practical relevance. The outcomes of this study will serve as a foundation for the development of a Ukrainian national green certification standard that includes effective tools for managing both environmental and aesthetic performance of contemporary architecture.