Advocating for green building minimum compliance system in Rwanda: Using bricks to achieve sustainability

Development countries in Africa will see 75% increase of its current building stock until 2060 due to the economic development, rapid urbanization and population growth. Rwanda?s Third National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change estimates that the carbon dioxide emissions from buildings will increase by 574% by 2050 in the business as usual scenario. The aim of this paper puts sustainable architecture and green buildings in a context of rapidly urbanizing Rwanda, showing five recently constructed brick buildings that exploit the culture while meeting the sustainability demands of the 21st century. Global sustainability agendas are advocating for the use of brick for its durability, quality, with environmental, economic, and social benefits for construction sector. This paper provides insights on the policies, such as the Green Building Minimum Compliance System, advocating for the use of brick as a sustainable construction material. Despite the rapid urbanization in Rwanda, the existing sustainable construction practices help in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, while this paper also documents results on social and economic perspectives for the community from construction sector.