Sustainable Construction Practices in Taif City: The Role of Building Materials

Abstract

Abstract. Sustainable construction has gradually become the basis of environmental-economic improvement in the built environment. Building materials play a pivotal role in realizing sustainable development, which is addressed in this study, based on the construction industry of Taif City, Saudi Arabia, in terms of thermal regulation, energy consumption, and ecological footprint. Using a descriptive–analytical approach, this article incorporates a comprehensive review of local urban planning regulations in combination with an examination of construction operations. It evaluates alignments of the conventional and contemporary materials with the sustainability standards and investigates the possibility of adopting green concrete, thermally insulated bricks, as well as available resources on the ground. The authors conclude that sustainable material selection can greatly improve the quality of urban environments, occupant comfort, and low life cycle operational costs. The research concludes with a proposal for a regulatory and incentive-based framework in order to make it easier to use sustainable building materials and for innovation and research specific to Taif region’s climatic and topographical conditions.