U7 Sustainability in Architecture

BASIC CONCEPTS:

Three pillars:

  • Economic
  • Environmental
  • Social

green and circular economy

Four operational principles:

  • The impact of human beings on natural systems must not exceed the carrying capacity of nature
  • The use of renewable resources must not exceed their rate of regeneration
  • The use of non-renewable resources must be compensated by the production of renewable resources, which will eventually have to replace them
  • The emission into the environment must not exceed the absorptive capаcity of the receivers

Life-cycle:

The LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS studies the environmental impact of a product from its production to its dismantling.
The study of ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT assesses the amount of territory needed to generate the biological resources consumed and to absorb the waste that an activity needs and produces.

THE CONCEPT OF 3Rs:

REDUCE <> REUSE <> RECYCLE

HEALTHY BUILDINGS:

Psycological aspects:

  • the proportions of the spaces
  • the relation among height, width, and length of rooms
  • the chromatic climate determined by the color of the external and internal surfaces

contribute to determine in the spaces a resting or excitation effect that facilitates the recovery of physical and intellectual  energies

Sick Building Syndrome is that set of symptoms that can degenerate into a state of chronic illness.

CLIMATE-NUMAN BEING

The main elements of the climate environment that influence human comfort are:

  • The temperature of the air
  • The radiation, thermal emission
  • The movement of the air
  • The relative humidity

Conditions that are fundamental in the interaction of the building:

  • Temperature (maximum and minimum); 
  • Sunshine (% and annual distribution); 
  • Prevailing winds (frequency, direction and intensity); 
  • Rainfall (average, minimum and maximum rainfall); 
  • Snow (maximum, minimum and average); 
  • Relative humidity and vapor pressure. 

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN:

Bio-architecture (minimize the negative impacts on the environment)

Bioclimatic architecture

MATERIALS:

Traditional materials, experienced over the centuries in traditional architecture, guarantee conditions of greater wholesomeness and well-being compared to synthetic materials. 

Warning !!  many of the “natural” materials are submitted for productive or applying reasons to treatments with potentially harmful chemicals.