A building should be designed for a planned lifetime, combining the expected perspective of subject involved in the process (planners, designer, users, society, environment, etc). In the early stage of the life cycle design process, decision-making methods can be applied to define the whole life of the building and control the sustainability of solutions that will be adopted at different design levels: strategic level, system level and detail level.
The aim of the study is to introduce the concept of multidisciplinary approach as a main driver for the life cycle design. The research shows the most important tools and theories, internationally recognized, starting from the environmental economic theory, passing through multidisciplinary methods, such as Cradle to Cradle design and Regenerative Design, up to life cycle design tools and methods.
The Life Cycle perspective requires stakeholders to cooperate in new ways. Integrated design allows a holistic approach and the continuous consideration of a large numbers of aspects. The interoperability of design tools is a key factor, providing support to design team for the life cycle assessment of buildings, life cycle cost determination or a combination of the two.
Some case studies illustrate the practical application of life cycle analysis and show how multidisciplinary approach can improve the sustainability of the building, extending the building time horizon to the whole life cycle (including construction, maintenance, renovation and end of life). All the examples considered in the study, taken from scientific literature (e.g. Konig et al, 2010; Hauke et al. 2016; etc.), have been assessed using tools or systems to perform sustainability, such as Sustainable Building certification scheme (DGNB), Minergie, LEED and Protocollo Itaca, etc.. Among the case studies examined there are: a lower secondary school in Austria (refurbishment and extension), an administration center in Germany (new building), an industrial building in Italy (refurbishment), a residential building in Italy (refurbishment and extension).
As a result, a classification of selected buildings by use type (residential, educational, office and industrial) is presented in order to build a case studies map, which highlights the multidisciplinary approach of the life cycle design. Hence, the investigations and calculations were based on various parameters: construction costs, usage costs, energy requirement and life cycle assessment. The case studies map can be useful, as a reference, to help researchers and designers to compare their design solution with a benchmark option.
El Khouli, et al. (2015) Sustainable Construction Techniques. Detail Green Books
Hauke, B., et al. (eds) (2016) Case studies and life-cycle assessment comparisons, in Sustainable Steel Buildings: A Practical Guide for Structures and Envelopes, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK.
König et al. (2010) A life cycle approach to buildings. Detail Green Books
Keywords: life cycle design, design tools, sustainability, multidisciplinary, integrated design
5b. Design for sustainability
