European Research Center for Social Development

Tag: Sustainable Buildings

  • Towards Circular and more Sustainable Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review on the Circular Economy in the Built Environment

    Towards Circular and more Sustainable Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review on the Circular Economy in the Built Environment

    This comprehensive review of over 300 academic papers provides a clear map of how the built environment is transitioning toward a Circular Economy (CE).

    While the research confirms a global shift toward circular thinking (particularly in Europe and China) it also exposes a significant gap: most current efforts are focused only on managing waste rather than redesigning the entire building lifecycle.

    The study explicitly states “circularity” is currently hindered by a lack of integrated business models and fragmented communication between stakeholders.

    To move beyond the current incipient stage, the authors propose a new theoretical framework that prioritizes residual material value and calls for stronger governments intervention. Without specific laws, subsidies, and tax incentives to support decision-makers, the built environment will struggle to move from theoretical research to the practical implementation of sustainable, circular principles.

    Learn more about this review here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121134

    Reference

    Munaro, M. R., Tavares, S. F., & Bragança, L. (2020). Towards circular and more sustainable buildings: A systematic literature review on the circular economy in the built environment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 260, 121134

  • Social Criteria of Sustainable Development in Relation to Green Building Assessment Tools

    Social Criteria of Sustainable Development in Relation to Green Building Assessment Tools

    Buildings are for people, yet we often fail to quantify its human impact. This research aims to address the “social blind spot” of green assessment tools, aiming to bring human-centric perspective into the core of construction.

    By identifying the key social factors (from indoor air quality and mental health to community integration) the study provides a roadmap for building practitioners to make better decisions.

    The authors move beyond simple technical metrics to propose a new way of evaluating a building’s success: its contribution to Social Sustainable Development Goals.

    Ultimately, the paper argues that a building can only be truly “sustainable” if it supports the health, equity, and well-being of the society that uses it.

    Learn more about this paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10668-018-0184-1

    Reference

    Atanda, J.O., Öztürk, A. Social criteria of sustainable development in relation to green building assessment tools. Environ Dev Sustain 22, 61–87 (2020)