Kepentingan dan sumbangan taman atas bumbung dalam penilaian green building index (GBI)

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the importance and contribution of rooftop garden in Malaysian green building index assessment, Green Building Index (GBI). In overseas, rooftop garden is considered as one of the elements that can contribute to the green building rating system such as in Singapore (Green Mark), United States (LEED), Japan (CASBEE), United Kingdom (BREEAM) and Hong Kong (HK-BEAM). Therefore, this study was carried out to answer the question of to what extent does the importance and contribution of rooftop garden in the context of development in Malaysia. Does a rooftop garden can assist to increase the value of green building score marks in GBI assessment or only seen as an additional landscape for the provision of open space for multi-storey residential development in narrow development area? Thus, this study was carried out based on four objectives, which are (i) to review the concept and importance of rooftop garden development in achieving sustainable urban development; (ii) to review the ecological benefits of a rooftop garden and its potential to contribute in GBI assessment; (iii) to identify which of GBI criteria that assess the ecological benefits of rooftop garden and the scores obtained; and (iv) to discuss the design aspects of rooftop garden to contribute towards the solution of environmental issues in urban area. This study is a qualitative research using the exploratory approach. First Residence Kepong was chosen as a case study that meets the criteria specified. The interview is used as a data collection technique and analyzed using the descriptive and narrative techniques. The findings from the study revealed that rooftop garden is one the strategy towards sustainable urban development. Rooftop garden is also able to contribute in GBI assessment. Reducing the urban heat island phenomenon and managing rain water is a direct contribution in GBI assessment. While improving thermal comfort, energy saving as well as a habitat for birds and insects that are affected by urban development is its indirect contribution. The finding has also found that the establishment of rooftop garden must first determine the function and purpose of the garden that must be done during the planning stages by applying the sustainable landscape features, minimizing impervious surface, emphasizing on variety of shrubs and suitable depth of soil in order to contribute to a positive impact towards environment, building occupants as well as to improve the scored marks for green building in GBI assessment