Sustainable selection in building envelope systems: developing a metric of relative assessment

Abstract

Selection of efficient solutions for sustainable building envelope systems is a demanding challenge. In this sense, this research proposes to develop a metric of relative assessment, to qualitatively evaluate the degree of sustainability for building envelope systems in compact home design projects. This metric will serve as a building envelope system selection method in the design stage. The object of study is justified based on the lack of simplified methods regarding the subject, and the initiative Casa Nordeste 1.0 of participating in an international competition for the design and construction of prototypes for sustainable houses operated on solar energy, by the Lab team for Models and Prototypes (LM+P) of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), within which this work plan is inserted. The proposed method encompasses systematic literature review on existing search procedures or methods for evaluation / selection, as well as the adoption of categories, criteria and variables used to assess building materials and building envelope systems. In order to test the reliability of the proposed metric, pilot studies were conducted. The results show that it is possible to partially reduce the complexity of evaluating, simultaneously, social, economic, and environmental issues inherent in the holistic vision that guides the adopted research paradigm. Thus, through comparative and qualitative estimation of building technologies, it is possible to acquire subsidies for performing more thorough selections in the design stage.