Qualitative Investigation of Green Building Rating System Development in Bahrain’s Affordable Housing Industry

This article presents an investigation into choosing a suitable methodology to explore the development of a Green Building Rating System (GBRS) in Bahrain, with justification for the tools and methodology used based on Bahraini and field circumstances. Qualitative approaches are increasingly used in similar studies to provide a deeper understanding of perceptions, motivations, and perspectives that underpin stakeholder decisions. Based on the exploratory nature of the study and demonstrated effectiveness in the literature, one-on-one interviews were deemed the most effective method for gathering information. The study focuses on stakeholders in the affordable housing industry, utilizing expert sampling to select participants and incorporating a qualitative-methodological approach to investigate the potential and constraints of GBRS deployment in Bahrain’s affordable housing sector. This article highlights the effectiveness of using a qualitative approach in presenting the new exploratory area of GBRS in Bahrain, comprehensively representing stakeholder perspectives. The rationale and justification for using these tools and methodologies are presented, emphasizing their importance in understanding the motivations and influences behind public and private development.