Understanding Sustainable Construction: One Vision, Three Pillars

According to the Belgian Building Research Institute and CSTC, sustainable building can be described as the search for buildings that provide a balance of the three following pillars:

The Environmental Perspective

The construction sector is responsible for approximately 50% of the global consumption of raw materials. Heating and lighting of buildings also represents 42% of total energy consumption. Not only that, the sector is also a major producer of waste. A sustainable build should take these factors into account along with the biodiversity of the land. Efforts should be taken to preserve fauna and flora by building on land with little environmental value.

The Social Perspective

Sustainable construction should not be limited to its ecological dimension. The average person spends 90% of their time inside buildings, so it is no surprise that our quality of life goes hand in hand with the quality of the building in which we are located. Air quality, thermal comfort and acoustic comfort are important factors to consider when building sustainably. In addition to the fact that buildings that are not properly designed have a negative impact on the health of users and residents, these can also lead to very high maintenance and heating costs.

The Economic Perspective

An analysis of the construction arrangements and costs should make it possible to determine whether a project is feasible or not. Understanding, for example, the life cycle-costs of a building, the risks associated and the possibilities for innovation, allow for the conservation and renewal of the built environment. In the past we tried to minimize the initial construction costs, today we are trying to strike more of a balance.

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