PROPUESTA DE LA METODOLOGIA DEL ANÁLISIS DE CICLO DE VIDA EN LA EVALUACIÓN DE LA SOSTENIBILIDAD DE PROYECTOS ARQUITECTÓNICOS

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects associated with a product or service during its life cycle, i.e. from cradle to grave. This powerful methodology has not been strongly applied to architectural design. It is necessary to consider LCA is a relatively young technique and there is a lack of base studies focused on construction. The most important results to expect about LCA in the construction field are a numerical translation of sustainability, as an objective measure of the overall environmental load of a construction, and a integration of Energy in the Design process; it allows to get together the work of architecture and engineering disciplines at the same time to produce buildings that impact less to the environment. LCA provides the more quantitative and scientific basis for all these new concepts. According to this, the Industrial Engineering Department in the IQS Technical Collage in Barcelona has made up an investigation group, specialized in this field; its main aim is develop a useful, powerful and extendable methodology for LCA within the building design. Keywords: Life cycle assessment (LCA), sustainability, buildings construction, emissions,