Developing a Climate-Referenced SS–LT Site-Performance Assessment Framework: An Exploratory Five-Case Study of Green-Certified Smart Office Buildings

Abstract

Green-building research has examined energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality in depth, whereas site-related strategies are often represented through aggregate certification outcomes with limited visibility into criterion-level evidence and weighting assumptions. This study develops the Climate-Referenced SS–LT Site-Performance Assessment Framework (CR-SSAF) for an exploratory documentation-based comparison of a combined Sustainable Sites, Location, and Transportation (SS–LT) construct across five green-certified smart office buildings in three Köppen climate zones. Six SS–LT criteria were assessed using a four-level operational rubric, an exact-normalized weighted Site-Performance Index (SSPI), a descriptive Technology Enablement Factor (TEF), ordinal inter-rater agreement analysis, three weighting schemes, and a TOPSIS ranking-concordance check. SSPI values ranged from 2.00 to 2.65. The Af case recorded the highest SSPI in this sample, while the lowest scores occurred where no qualifying project-specific heat-mitigation or green-/openspace evidence could be verified. The first, second, and last ranks remained unchanged across the three weighting schemes, while The Edge and Shanghai Tower were tied under the equal and ecology-sensitive schemes. Because the sample is small and heterogeneous, and does not control for urban form, building scale, infrastructure, certification system, or documentation availability, differences cannot be attributed independently to climate. CR-SSAF is therefore presented as a transparent exploratory workflow, not as a validated climate effects model or as evidence of transferability.