Sustainable practices and maintenance of residential buildings: an analysis of Leed, Aqua and GBC Brasil Condominium certifications

Abstract

The constant population growth in urban regions has led to an increasing search for housing, impacting the construction of buildings, which require maintenance activities to ensure proper functioning. The operation phase of these buildings accounts for a large consumption of natural resources and waste production. To aid reduce environmental impact, this study explores ways to implement sustainability in building operations by surveying the requirements for applying sustainable practices in building maintenance. The study is based on a survey of environmental certifications that include residential buildings in Brazil, namely LEED, AQUA, and GBC BRASIL Condomínio. The organization and compilation of these requirements into categories such as water, energy, waste, and others enabled the identification of 24 sustainable practices that can be applied to the operation of residential buildings. The study demonstrates that existing residential buildings can become more sustainable even without major interventions. Moreover, the systematization of these practices can support their implementation and encourage further research in the field of residential building construction.