Sustainability
Gharnata Consultant Engineers is registered and recognized by GORD as a GSAS design and Build service provider for all building typologies including commercial, offices, renovations, hospitality and residential, light industries, education, etc.
During the last decade, GCE has achieved certification for those projects where sustainability and energy efficiency were required.
The Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is a sustainability rating system developed to assess the environmental impact of buildings and infrastructure projects. It was developed by the Gharnata as a response to the increasing demand for sustainable and green buildings across the Gulf region and beyond.
GSAS is a comprehensive rating system that considers the entire lifecycle of a building, from design and construction to operation and maintenance.
The rating system is based on a points system, with projects achieving a certain number of points to earn a certification level, ranging from Bronze to Platinum. The system offers a flexible approach to sustainable design and allows for customization of the assessment criteria to fit specific project requirements.
GSAS is widely recognized as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive sustainability rating systems in the world. It has been adopted by governments, municipalities, and private organizations across the Gulf region and beyond. The system has been used to assess a wide range of projects, including commercial buildings, residential complexes, educational facilities, and infrastructure projects.
GSAS is a powerful tool for promoting sustainability in the built environment. It provides a framework for sustainable design and construction that can help to address some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time.
Objectives
The core philosophy behind GSAS is simple – creating a sustainable built environment that minimizes ecological impact while addressing the specific social and cultural needs and environment of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. To this end, GSAS’ key objective is to create and promote a sustainable built environment through a three-pronged approach that focuses on protecting the environment, conserving earthly resources, and improving human wellbeing, all the while addressing the needs and concerns unique to the MENA region.
Delivering these sustainability promises, however, is far from simple. Fulfilling GSAS sustainability promises, involves creating a better living environment, minimizing resource depletion and consumption and reducing environmental degradation due to the rapid pace of urbanization. Developed after years of intensive research, GSAS framework can meet the sustainability demands of the modern world by providing tangible solutions for projects to achieve sustainability excellence.
Design Phase in GSAS
Assessment Stage
This initial assessment is used to determine how the Concept Design of the building compares with the GSAS requirements. A preliminary scorecard (GSAS Toolkit) will be established to set a goal of certification targeting the required star rating.
Preliminary Review Stage
In this phase, the GSAS-PM registers the project and assigns criteria to design team members, and the team members submit documentation to the GSAS-PM for Preliminary Review. The GSAS-PM will then submit the completed documents to Gharnata.
Preliminary Verification
During Preliminary Verification, the Certifying Authority (Gharnata) reviews all resubmitted criteria and assigns the project an overall score. For any requirements not adequately met during Preliminary Verification, the credit for that criterion will be revoked and the score will be recalculated.
Preliminary Certification
Upon the Certifying Authority’s completion of Preliminary Verification and final project score assignment, the project enters the Preliminary Certification Phase. Based on the submitted documents and the results of the verification, Gharnata will issue a Letter of Conformance (LoC) stating the anticipated GSAS-Star Rating.
