Hindrances to the Utilisation of the Metaverse for Net-Zero Buildings in South Africa

Net-zero buildings (NZBs) are a key component of sustainable development in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, offering a path to mitigating environmental impacts. The Metaverse, as an emerging digital technology, has the potential to enhance NZB optimisation by facilitating design simulation, stakeholder collaboration, and real-time performance assessment. However, its integration into the AEC sector faces several obstacles. This study investigates the hindrances to Metaverse adoption for NZBs within South Africa’s AEC sector, a region striving to meet sustainability goals amid technological and infrastructural constraints. A quantitative research design was employed, utilising a structured questionnaire to gather data from registered and practising built environment professionals. Out of 163 distributed questionnaires, 121 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The findings categorise the hindrances into five key clusters: (1) Metaverse adoption barriers, (2) integration challenges, (3) technological limitations, (4) acceptance-related concerns, and (5) human- and skill-based obstacles. This study concludes that despite the Metaverse’s transformative potential for advancing NZBs, overcoming these barriers requires strategic interventions from industry professionals and policymakers. This research provides actionable insights to facilitate the effective integration of Metaverse technologies into sustainable construction practices, ensuring a more seamless transition towards digitalised NZB implementation.