Abstract:
Sustainability has acquired great importance due to the negative impact of various
developments on the environment. The rapid growth during the last decade has been
accompanied by active construction, which in some instances neglected the impact on the
environment and human activities. Within the last decade sustainable development and
building practices have acquired great importance due to the negative impact of various
development projects on the environment. In line with a sustainable development
approach, it is critical for practitioners to create a healthy, sustainable built
environment.
With significant growth taking place in the building sector, the burden being placed on
limited resources is increasing – resources that one day will run out. What’s more,
ongoing fit outs, extensions and / or refurbishments increase the environmental impact
during a building’s life cycle. Many natural resources and building materials require
mining, processing, refining and ultimately manufacturing, transport and delivery before
they are utilized in construction. The energy used during these processes is commonly
known as embodied energy.
Therefore to decrease this environmental degradation architects and engineers should
become more knowledgeable about the materials they use and should involve in the
material selection process. This case study focused on the characteristics and features of
sustainable building materials in selection of sustainable building materials.
