Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management
The paper presents an “Analytical Interdisciplinary Methodological Framework” (AIMF) to promote t... more The paper presents an “Analytical Interdisciplinary Methodological Framework” (AIMF) to promote the institutional role of environmental assessment in Egypt. This is based on two main factors; the institutional procedure and application implementation, as well as factors influencing the decision-making process. The study starts with reviewing the levels of environmental assessment; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); noting that each level builds from its subsequent level in an attempt to constitute an additive cumulative benefit. This analysis is coupled with structured interviews and designed questionnaires for local planning professionals to investigate the external and internal factors affecting the application of environmental assessment systems in Egypt. This is developed into an interlacing scheme of a sort of continuous process that considers their application status, construction of systems, country...
Green building projects require additional knowledge and awareness that are currently growing wit... more Green building projects require additional knowledge and awareness that are currently growing with practitioners " experience in the field. This may include challenges and impose additional risks and uncertainties to the typical construction problems particularly if the project is seeking a green building certification. Hence, this paper presents a critical analysis of Green-certified buildings " objectives and dispute-resolution strategies through contract writing. It covers two interrelated topics; the first one concerns understanding how different objectives of green building interact during the building process in such a manner that may cause synergies or disputes. Also, it covers disputes " causes and resolutions. This, in turn, shall regulate the relation between project participants through deciding on the most suitable type of contract, its language, and method of project delivery. It shall also present guidelines for effective contract documents that suit the peculiar requirements of green building projects. This shall present valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge regarding green building management and implementation , and help develop contract writing framework that would minimise any perceived legal problems.
— the prominence of sustainability nowadays is undeniable since buildings' structural average lif... more — the prominence of sustainability nowadays is undeniable since buildings' structural average life is 70 years. This lifespan will profoundly affect the next generations. Furthermore, according to Egypt's vision 2030 of the sustainable development strategy, the population will reach 140 million by 2050: therefore this rapid growth will require more built-up areas that will result in the exploitation of farmlands and construction sites to accommodate this outgrowth. Hence, the energy and water demand will stay increment. (Central Bank of Egypt-Egypt Economic Report) ,consequently all these facts lead to one reality which is Egypt is in urgent need for greening construction sector especially residential buildings, which contribute to 60% of total buildings units in Egypt which is about 18 million expecting to reach 23 million in 2030, as a vital part in achieving sustainable development (EEHC, 2013/2014) However, strategies of national sustainable development are the ordinary technique for positioning demonstrable targets within national policy level. These targets shall include wide quantifiable goals and qualitative aims in addition to comprise commensurable signals in order to assess performance. (Sheate, 2001) Obviously these strategies are overwhelmingly reflected in building codes and regulations managing the construction sector. In this research, the Unified Building Law (UBL) no. 119 for the year 2008 and its executive appendix are to be evaluated according to green concepts in order to catch up with global green standards through developing a comparative analysis between the Unified Building Law and the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) by analyzing selected articles from the UBL which contradict with environmental concerns. Moreover, selected regulations from ASHRAE for the design of high performance buildings which is a compliance path for the IGCC, as a method of modifying UBL, along with LEED for building design and construction which is according to (Owens & Sigmon, 2010) the most accepted green building rating system as a comprehensive approach for greening building codes in Egypt. The outcome of this work is an assortment of broad lines for greening the Unified Building Law with adaption in accordance to local context in addition of being in congruence with international codes and regulations.
— This dissertation discusses the university building and how its importance in students life. Ed... more — This dissertation discusses the university building and how its importance in students life. Educational places at this time are noticed as small cities due to their huge volume, capacity and population and also the different activities that are held in the campuses and these have some important direct and indirect encounters on the environment. This research will assess the LEED rating system on the private university buildings in Egypt which is the British University in Egypt "BUE" and conclude if the university fulfills the sustainability in the design according to the Egyptian context or not and what modification should be done to the university according to the LEED rating system in order to reach sustainable design environment. In order to help the society develop sustainable living to the students, this will benefit the current and future university community. The need of sustainable university environment for the students needs to be focused and pay more attention so it can reach its teaching objectives and achievements. The LEED will provide guidelines based on focused arguments that will rate the university buildings to reach whether the university is designed in a sustainable form or not and if not, there should be actions done in order to reach sustainable environment that will benefit the students and their achievements.
— There is a progressive tendency to incorporate Multi-agent System and parametric design strateg... more — There is a progressive tendency to incorporate Multi-agent System and parametric design strategies in urban planning and design in order to generate a Bottom-up urban pattern instead of the traditional Top-down urban design that meet a certain needs. This paper presents a general agent-based simulation approach that captures agents' decision-making processes and dynamic relationships. Such processes of decision making and interacting towards one another and to the surroundings environment have the ability to determine urban shape. By exploring the digital development of MAS and Parametric interactive models, a design proposal was developed for an urban settlement in Cairo. Out of this experimental urban research, this paper suggests that the process of design can benefit from the deeper understanding of natural process and the emergence approach in order to conduct generative and self-organizing urban structures. This aim is going to be achieved through 3 main objectives. Firstly, conducting a literature review in order to investigate the use of different advanced computational design methods. Secondly, analyzing a case study and extracting the design's parameters and variables. Thirdly, building the design prototype based on the analyzed data from the literature review and case study. This experimental research paper aims to investigate the efficiency of using Agent‐based modeling system in order to generate an optimized circulation networks in early stages of the design process.
The paper discusses the recent introduction of the LEED system to the Italian context in order to... more The paper discusses the recent introduction of the LEED system to the Italian context in order to assess its role to promote sustainable building process in the Italian context, pointing out its potentials on one hand as well as their gaps and limitations on the other hand, and suggests means for its future development. The study discusses the application of LEED as a 'Sustainable Project management tool' to guide sustainable building performance. This requires investigating the following: its structure, tools, assessment criteria along with its benchmarks and references. It also discusses the application of LEED as a 'Sustainable building Certification and market tool'. This investigates the role and value of the LEED certification in the Italian Green market. The research method is comprised of three parts. The first part is a comparative analysis of LEED categories against Italian national initiatives for sustainability. The comparison showed that most LEED categories are already mandated by national norms and directives but they may differ in their stringency creating some areas of precedence of LEED system or drawbacks. This streamlines the adaptation process of LEED system to the Italian context. The second part investigates LEED projects' market analysis. The result showed that the shift towards a sustainable building process is occurring slowly and on a vertical scale focusing on some building sectors rather than others. Its market diffusion in the Italian context faces challenges regarding the insufficient availability of green materials and products satisfying its requirements, as well as high soft cost of sustainability tests and expertise required. The Third part presents a practical review-citing the methodology and results of a survey conducted by the researchers in mid-2012. It is composed of a web-based questionnaire and interviews among a sample of LEED professionals in Italy. The result shows that LEED systems needs to develop its role as a guideline and decision support tool as well as its mechanism for measuring and evaluating sustainable building performance, so that better and reliable results can improve LEED position in the global marketplace. The paper concludes that the application of LEED system in the Italian context still has much room for development both as a sustainable project management tool and as a sustainable certification and market tool. Yet, its future development lies in achieving a progressive development balance between three key factors: 1) preserving international standardization, 2) regional/local integration with sustainable building practices and green market, and 3) maintaining wider diffusion in the global marketplace. Hence, the research presents a set of recommendations for practitioners and researchers in the field in order to be able to improve the efficiency and efficacy of applying such a tool on the built environment. Keywords: LEED green building rating and certification system, sustainable building process, sustainable project management tool, sustainable building certification and market tool. ________________________________________________________________________________________
LEED system is one of the mostly diffused Green Building Rating systems, yet there is no defined ... more LEED system is one of the mostly diffused Green Building Rating systems, yet there is no defined framework on how to apply LEED system along the building process- as a Mean Not as an End itself. Hence, the research defines and develops the scopes and limits of operation of the LEED system establishing a proposed systemic framework for practitioners to apply LEED through an integrated process as well as individual practices- focusing on environmental considerations. The proposed framework is based on differentiating between two interrelated mechanisms of operation of Green Building Rating systems; ‘Rating’ and ‘Certification’ mechanisms, and divided into four scopes; Guidelines, Measurement, Verification and Certification. All four scopes should be applied in a systemic iterative manner within the correct timeframe, to support the decision making process and reach optimized management process. The framework was applied on both energy and materials credits- which represent almost half the total weight assigned for LEED credits and main source of criticism for the system. The research applies the proposed systemic framework along different project stages, to present a ‘Know how’ for practitioners. Then the research tests and validates the proposed framework for some of the Materials and Resources and Energy and Atmosphere credits, using two case studies- to explore the effect of using the suggested framework on different building types and contexts, as well as using different LEED rating systems and versions on the management process. Then a final step of adjustments is presented for the proposed research framework based on findings from the testing step.
Abstract: The paper aims at investigating the contribution of green building rating system as an ... more Abstract: The paper aims at investigating the contribution of green building rating system as an approach to help diffuse sustainable innovative practices in the built environment, focusing with discussion on LEED rating system within the Italian context; being the latest introduction after Casa Clima and Itaca systems. Green building rating systems are considered efficient tools to achieve sustainable built environment, but it is equally important to know how to use the tool correctly to derive innovative practices. The paper starts with setting the base for the term (Innovation) within the built environment; then it presents a brief status of the art for the rise of green building rating systems and their role to help diffuse green innovative practices. The point of discussion will be tackled from two perspectives; Project Management and Green Market. The first perspective stresses the fact that a paradigm shift towards an integrative design and building process is a necessity to be able to use such rating systems efficiently. The second perspective points out that it is also important to work in parallel on opening of new markets based on a sustainable approach promoting successful application of sustainability in the building sector. Then, the paper links to a context of application; the Italian context and discusses how achievements of such green building rating systems cohere with the Italian future plans and EU commitments and obligations, presenting an assessment to LEED system credit adaptation criteria to the Italian context. Finally a future backcasting for the future development of green building rating systems is discussed along with exploring potentials of incorporating Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the sustainable building process.
The Visual Identity of open spaces results from our cognitive image. This can be the result of bo... more The Visual Identity of open spaces results from our cognitive image. This can be the result of both physical and non-physical ties to the landscape change. It affects users' perception and provokes their senses. Recent researchers revealed there is a gap between the intended design developed by the urban designer and the users' cognitive map of the space. The research aims to determine the most important factors that the urban designer should keep into consideration to reduce this gap. The research used semi-structured interviews & mapping tool to analyse the landscape change over the past 10 years for open space food courts in three new residential communities in Egypt. The result presents a comparison between the three perspectives for landscape change; 1) theoretical guidelines for designing urban space elements, 2) urban designer's design approach and 3) users' cognitive map for open spaces. This method can be used to convey, share and exchange information for landscape designers, urban planners and decision makers.
Green building rating systems are voluntary tools intended to promote sustainable building proces... more Green building rating systems are voluntary tools intended to promote sustainable building process through approaching several environmental issues that include sustainable design parameters related to the construction site and others related to its surrounding context. Decision making software support tools and methods are needed to guide practitioners on minimizing building's environmental impact especially for early design decisions. Hence, the study shows how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is used as a decision-making support tool for assessing location and transportation (LT) together with sustainable site (SS) categories for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The methodology is applied on the 10 th of Ramadan city in Egypt; creating land suitability analysis for these two LEED categories. The analysis considers sensitive land protection, high priority development sites, surrounding density and diverse uses, and access to quality transit on the context level. It also analyses lithology type and condition as well as habitat and open spaces protection on the site level. The result shows the potential role of integrating GIS analysis as a tool for site selection credits for LEED rating systems. This allows for more data integration to set a solid base for objective decision making process based on contextual conditions. The method can be generalized and applied in similar contexts in order to attract private investments for green construction especially in new development areas.
The current adopted research methods for rehabilitation of social housing projects face lots of c... more The current adopted research methods for rehabilitation of social housing projects face lots of challenges to address the complexity of socio-cultural, environmental and economic aspects. Hence, the research discusses matrix structural analysis method that aims at bridging the gap between theoretical and practical approaches for more sustained social housing rehabilitation projects. It acts as a simplified analytical and decision making tool that is capable of structuring the huge range of data, categorized into various scales; starting from urban to architectural solutions, and scopes; discussing building energy performance and management process. The research applies the proposed matrix on a case study project entitled: Interventions in Obsolete Residential Neighbourhoods: Manual of Best Practices (ORRN-MBP) (Promoted by Junta Andalusia, University of Seville, Spain). The project studied eight neighbourhood plans built between the 1950 and 1970 with potential cultural values but suffering incompatibility with contemporary users' demands. The proposed matrix presents a comprehensive toolkit for decision makers and set a datum for sustainable social housing rehabilitation plans.
Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management
The paper presents an “Analytical Interdisciplinary Methodological Framework” (AIMF) to promote t... more The paper presents an “Analytical Interdisciplinary Methodological Framework” (AIMF) to promote the institutional role of environmental assessment in Egypt. This is based on two main factors; the institutional procedure and application implementation, as well as factors influencing the decision-making process. The study starts with reviewing the levels of environmental assessment; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); noting that each level builds from its subsequent level in an attempt to constitute an additive cumulative benefit. This analysis is coupled with structured interviews and designed questionnaires for local planning professionals to investigate the external and internal factors affecting the application of environmental assessment systems in Egypt. This is developed into an interlacing scheme of a sort of continuous process that considers their application status, construction of systems, country...
Green building projects require additional knowledge and awareness that are currently growing wit... more Green building projects require additional knowledge and awareness that are currently growing with practitioners " experience in the field. This may include challenges and impose additional risks and uncertainties to the typical construction problems particularly if the project is seeking a green building certification. Hence, this paper presents a critical analysis of Green-certified buildings " objectives and dispute-resolution strategies through contract writing. It covers two interrelated topics; the first one concerns understanding how different objectives of green building interact during the building process in such a manner that may cause synergies or disputes. Also, it covers disputes " causes and resolutions. This, in turn, shall regulate the relation between project participants through deciding on the most suitable type of contract, its language, and method of project delivery. It shall also present guidelines for effective contract documents that suit the peculiar requirements of green building projects. This shall present valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge regarding green building management and implementation , and help develop contract writing framework that would minimise any perceived legal problems.
— the prominence of sustainability nowadays is undeniable since buildings' structural average lif... more — the prominence of sustainability nowadays is undeniable since buildings' structural average life is 70 years. This lifespan will profoundly affect the next generations. Furthermore, according to Egypt's vision 2030 of the sustainable development strategy, the population will reach 140 million by 2050: therefore this rapid growth will require more built-up areas that will result in the exploitation of farmlands and construction sites to accommodate this outgrowth. Hence, the energy and water demand will stay increment. (Central Bank of Egypt-Egypt Economic Report) ,consequently all these facts lead to one reality which is Egypt is in urgent need for greening construction sector especially residential buildings, which contribute to 60% of total buildings units in Egypt which is about 18 million expecting to reach 23 million in 2030, as a vital part in achieving sustainable development (EEHC, 2013/2014) However, strategies of national sustainable development are the ordinary technique for positioning demonstrable targets within national policy level. These targets shall include wide quantifiable goals and qualitative aims in addition to comprise commensurable signals in order to assess performance. (Sheate, 2001) Obviously these strategies are overwhelmingly reflected in building codes and regulations managing the construction sector. In this research, the Unified Building Law (UBL) no. 119 for the year 2008 and its executive appendix are to be evaluated according to green concepts in order to catch up with global green standards through developing a comparative analysis between the Unified Building Law and the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) by analyzing selected articles from the UBL which contradict with environmental concerns. Moreover, selected regulations from ASHRAE for the design of high performance buildings which is a compliance path for the IGCC, as a method of modifying UBL, along with LEED for building design and construction which is according to (Owens & Sigmon, 2010) the most accepted green building rating system as a comprehensive approach for greening building codes in Egypt. The outcome of this work is an assortment of broad lines for greening the Unified Building Law with adaption in accordance to local context in addition of being in congruence with international codes and regulations.
— This dissertation discusses the university building and how its importance in students life. Ed... more — This dissertation discusses the university building and how its importance in students life. Educational places at this time are noticed as small cities due to their huge volume, capacity and population and also the different activities that are held in the campuses and these have some important direct and indirect encounters on the environment. This research will assess the LEED rating system on the private university buildings in Egypt which is the British University in Egypt "BUE" and conclude if the university fulfills the sustainability in the design according to the Egyptian context or not and what modification should be done to the university according to the LEED rating system in order to reach sustainable design environment. In order to help the society develop sustainable living to the students, this will benefit the current and future university community. The need of sustainable university environment for the students needs to be focused and pay more attention so it can reach its teaching objectives and achievements. The LEED will provide guidelines based on focused arguments that will rate the university buildings to reach whether the university is designed in a sustainable form or not and if not, there should be actions done in order to reach sustainable environment that will benefit the students and their achievements.
— There is a progressive tendency to incorporate Multi-agent System and parametric design strateg... more — There is a progressive tendency to incorporate Multi-agent System and parametric design strategies in urban planning and design in order to generate a Bottom-up urban pattern instead of the traditional Top-down urban design that meet a certain needs. This paper presents a general agent-based simulation approach that captures agents' decision-making processes and dynamic relationships. Such processes of decision making and interacting towards one another and to the surroundings environment have the ability to determine urban shape. By exploring the digital development of MAS and Parametric interactive models, a design proposal was developed for an urban settlement in Cairo. Out of this experimental urban research, this paper suggests that the process of design can benefit from the deeper understanding of natural process and the emergence approach in order to conduct generative and self-organizing urban structures. This aim is going to be achieved through 3 main objectives. Firstly, conducting a literature review in order to investigate the use of different advanced computational design methods. Secondly, analyzing a case study and extracting the design's parameters and variables. Thirdly, building the design prototype based on the analyzed data from the literature review and case study. This experimental research paper aims to investigate the efficiency of using Agent‐based modeling system in order to generate an optimized circulation networks in early stages of the design process.
The paper discusses the recent introduction of the LEED system to the Italian context in order to... more The paper discusses the recent introduction of the LEED system to the Italian context in order to assess its role to promote sustainable building process in the Italian context, pointing out its potentials on one hand as well as their gaps and limitations on the other hand, and suggests means for its future development. The study discusses the application of LEED as a 'Sustainable Project management tool' to guide sustainable building performance. This requires investigating the following: its structure, tools, assessment criteria along with its benchmarks and references. It also discusses the application of LEED as a 'Sustainable building Certification and market tool'. This investigates the role and value of the LEED certification in the Italian Green market. The research method is comprised of three parts. The first part is a comparative analysis of LEED categories against Italian national initiatives for sustainability. The comparison showed that most LEED categories are already mandated by national norms and directives but they may differ in their stringency creating some areas of precedence of LEED system or drawbacks. This streamlines the adaptation process of LEED system to the Italian context. The second part investigates LEED projects' market analysis. The result showed that the shift towards a sustainable building process is occurring slowly and on a vertical scale focusing on some building sectors rather than others. Its market diffusion in the Italian context faces challenges regarding the insufficient availability of green materials and products satisfying its requirements, as well as high soft cost of sustainability tests and expertise required. The Third part presents a practical review-citing the methodology and results of a survey conducted by the researchers in mid-2012. It is composed of a web-based questionnaire and interviews among a sample of LEED professionals in Italy. The result shows that LEED systems needs to develop its role as a guideline and decision support tool as well as its mechanism for measuring and evaluating sustainable building performance, so that better and reliable results can improve LEED position in the global marketplace. The paper concludes that the application of LEED system in the Italian context still has much room for development both as a sustainable project management tool and as a sustainable certification and market tool. Yet, its future development lies in achieving a progressive development balance between three key factors: 1) preserving international standardization, 2) regional/local integration with sustainable building practices and green market, and 3) maintaining wider diffusion in the global marketplace. Hence, the research presents a set of recommendations for practitioners and researchers in the field in order to be able to improve the efficiency and efficacy of applying such a tool on the built environment. Keywords: LEED green building rating and certification system, sustainable building process, sustainable project management tool, sustainable building certification and market tool. ________________________________________________________________________________________
LEED system is one of the mostly diffused Green Building Rating systems, yet there is no defined ... more LEED system is one of the mostly diffused Green Building Rating systems, yet there is no defined framework on how to apply LEED system along the building process- as a Mean Not as an End itself. Hence, the research defines and develops the scopes and limits of operation of the LEED system establishing a proposed systemic framework for practitioners to apply LEED through an integrated process as well as individual practices- focusing on environmental considerations. The proposed framework is based on differentiating between two interrelated mechanisms of operation of Green Building Rating systems; ‘Rating’ and ‘Certification’ mechanisms, and divided into four scopes; Guidelines, Measurement, Verification and Certification. All four scopes should be applied in a systemic iterative manner within the correct timeframe, to support the decision making process and reach optimized management process. The framework was applied on both energy and materials credits- which represent almost half the total weight assigned for LEED credits and main source of criticism for the system. The research applies the proposed systemic framework along different project stages, to present a ‘Know how’ for practitioners. Then the research tests and validates the proposed framework for some of the Materials and Resources and Energy and Atmosphere credits, using two case studies- to explore the effect of using the suggested framework on different building types and contexts, as well as using different LEED rating systems and versions on the management process. Then a final step of adjustments is presented for the proposed research framework based on findings from the testing step.
Abstract: The paper aims at investigating the contribution of green building rating system as an ... more Abstract: The paper aims at investigating the contribution of green building rating system as an approach to help diffuse sustainable innovative practices in the built environment, focusing with discussion on LEED rating system within the Italian context; being the latest introduction after Casa Clima and Itaca systems. Green building rating systems are considered efficient tools to achieve sustainable built environment, but it is equally important to know how to use the tool correctly to derive innovative practices. The paper starts with setting the base for the term (Innovation) within the built environment; then it presents a brief status of the art for the rise of green building rating systems and their role to help diffuse green innovative practices. The point of discussion will be tackled from two perspectives; Project Management and Green Market. The first perspective stresses the fact that a paradigm shift towards an integrative design and building process is a necessity to be able to use such rating systems efficiently. The second perspective points out that it is also important to work in parallel on opening of new markets based on a sustainable approach promoting successful application of sustainability in the building sector. Then, the paper links to a context of application; the Italian context and discusses how achievements of such green building rating systems cohere with the Italian future plans and EU commitments and obligations, presenting an assessment to LEED system credit adaptation criteria to the Italian context. Finally a future backcasting for the future development of green building rating systems is discussed along with exploring potentials of incorporating Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the sustainable building process.
The Visual Identity of open spaces results from our cognitive image. This can be the result of bo... more The Visual Identity of open spaces results from our cognitive image. This can be the result of both physical and non-physical ties to the landscape change. It affects users' perception and provokes their senses. Recent researchers revealed there is a gap between the intended design developed by the urban designer and the users' cognitive map of the space. The research aims to determine the most important factors that the urban designer should keep into consideration to reduce this gap. The research used semi-structured interviews & mapping tool to analyse the landscape change over the past 10 years for open space food courts in three new residential communities in Egypt. The result presents a comparison between the three perspectives for landscape change; 1) theoretical guidelines for designing urban space elements, 2) urban designer's design approach and 3) users' cognitive map for open spaces. This method can be used to convey, share and exchange information for landscape designers, urban planners and decision makers.
Green building rating systems are voluntary tools intended to promote sustainable building proces... more Green building rating systems are voluntary tools intended to promote sustainable building process through approaching several environmental issues that include sustainable design parameters related to the construction site and others related to its surrounding context. Decision making software support tools and methods are needed to guide practitioners on minimizing building's environmental impact especially for early design decisions. Hence, the study shows how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is used as a decision-making support tool for assessing location and transportation (LT) together with sustainable site (SS) categories for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The methodology is applied on the 10 th of Ramadan city in Egypt; creating land suitability analysis for these two LEED categories. The analysis considers sensitive land protection, high priority development sites, surrounding density and diverse uses, and access to quality transit on the context level. It also analyses lithology type and condition as well as habitat and open spaces protection on the site level. The result shows the potential role of integrating GIS analysis as a tool for site selection credits for LEED rating systems. This allows for more data integration to set a solid base for objective decision making process based on contextual conditions. The method can be generalized and applied in similar contexts in order to attract private investments for green construction especially in new development areas.
The current adopted research methods for rehabilitation of social housing projects face lots of c... more The current adopted research methods for rehabilitation of social housing projects face lots of challenges to address the complexity of socio-cultural, environmental and economic aspects. Hence, the research discusses matrix structural analysis method that aims at bridging the gap between theoretical and practical approaches for more sustained social housing rehabilitation projects. It acts as a simplified analytical and decision making tool that is capable of structuring the huge range of data, categorized into various scales; starting from urban to architectural solutions, and scopes; discussing building energy performance and management process. The research applies the proposed matrix on a case study project entitled: Interventions in Obsolete Residential Neighbourhoods: Manual of Best Practices (ORRN-MBP) (Promoted by Junta Andalusia, University of Seville, Spain). The project studied eight neighbourhood plans built between the 1950 and 1970 with potential cultural values but suffering incompatibility with contemporary users' demands. The proposed matrix presents a comprehensive toolkit for decision makers and set a datum for sustainable social housing rehabilitation plans.
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