Scholarly record

SELECTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FOR PRIORITY INTEGRATION INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS

Andreea-Terezia Mircea

Abstract

Sustainable design attempts to be perceptive to the environmental impact of the building project at each construction stage by evaluating the site, the embodied energy of the selected materials, as well as the proper construction techniques, adjusted to the local conditions. Moreover, physical hazards (flammability, corrosion) and/ or health hazards (toxicity, irritations) of the materials are especially important not only for the construction workers, building owners and occupants, but also for the environment, considering the materialsпїЅ complete life-cycle. Resource efficiency and the implication of essential demands concerning waste management and recycling is addressing to all issues surrounding sustainability and environmental impact of the built object, for all the implied work phases. Measuring resource efficiency requires operational indicators, the main consideration being the materialпїЅs appropriateness for the intended function. This paper highlights a number of relevant aspects regarding technical, economical and environmental parameters with reference on the selection of environmentally sustainable building materials based on a holistic system approach.

Publication details

Back to publication list