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SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CERTIFICATION OF BUILDINGS

Low-impact buildings: designing without losing sight of well-being

During the design phase it would be preferable to avoid focusing all attention on reducing energy consumption, thus losing sight of the occupants' well-being. It is also crucial that the design of the building takes into account the environment in which it will be inserted and the impact it will have on it.

This is why a number of building certification programmes have sprung up that include environmental sustainability and occupants' wellbeing, and although they are voluntary in nature, they are also spreading in Italy, arousing interest in the building industry and promoting the use of new products.

  • LEED® Certification
  • GBC Historic Building® Certification
  • GBC Home® Certification
  • ClimateHouse® NATURE® Certification
  • ClimaHouse® ClimaHotel® Certification
  • Living Building Challenge
  • WELL® Certification


 

LEED® CERTIFICATION

THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY RATING SYSTEM

LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary system for the design, construction and management of sustainable buildings and high-performance land areas proposed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The system is valid internationally and exists in various forms (for new buildings, existing buildings, urban areas, etc.).

LEED sustainability certification takes into account the building's entire life cycle, from the design phase to construction, operation and demolition.

There are five certification standards available:

  • Building design and construction
  • Building management and maintenance
  • Interior design and construction
  • Homes
  • Neighbourhood development

 

GBC HISTORIC BUILDING®

THE VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS

GBC Historic Building is a voluntary certification protocol for the level of sustainability of restoration, redevelopment, recovery and integration, even partial, of historic buildings. A prerequisite for access to GBC is that the building constitutes ‘material evidence with civilisational value’ and that it was built entirely, or at least 50 per cent, before 1945.

The protocol applies in the case of major renovations, which significantly involve the renovation of spaces, air-conditioning systems and possibly the building envelope, without prejudice to the preservation of the building's characteristics.

The GBC Historic Building verification system measures the sustainability of the building according to the thematic areas that characterise the LEED®/GBC rating systems and adds a specific one for the conservation area:

  • Historic value
  • Site sustainability
  • Water management
  • Energy and atmosphere
  • Materials and resources 
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Design innovation
  • Regional Priority

[Source: www.gbcitalia.org]

 

GBC HOME®

THE VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

GBC Home is a rating system developed for the Italian residential market, which, however, includes offices and commercial activities as well as farmhouses and accommodation buildings up to fifty beds.

In particular, GBC Home applies to small and large buildings, from single-family buildings to apartment blocks up to ten storeys, which may also include a small portion not intended for residential use.

GBC HOME was developed based on the LEED protocol and promotes healthiness, durability, cost-effectiveness and environmental best practices in the design and construction of buildings.

The rating system is organised into environmental categories:

  • Site sustainability 
  • Water management
  • Energy and atmosphere
  • Materials and resources
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Design innovation
  • Regional priority

There are four levels of GBC HOME certification and they depend on the score achieved: Basic 40-49
Silver 50-59
Gold 60-79
Platinum ≥ 80

[Source: www.gbcitalia.org]

 

CASACLIMA® NATURE

A WIDE-RANGING CERTIFICATION 

CasaClima Nature is a building certification protocol promoted by the Agenzia CasaClima in Bolzano that takes into consideration not only energy consumption, but also the impact on the environment and on the health and wellbeing of the people living there. CasaClima Nature introduces an objective assessment of the eco-compatibility of the materials and systems used in construction and of the building's water impact.
Eurotherm, as a CasaClima partner, proposes some systems that can be included in the Nature certification.

Eurotherm, as a CasaClima partner, proposes some systems that can be included in the Nature certification.

 

CLIMAHOTEL E CASACLIMA® WELCOME

A WIDE-RANGING CERTIFICATION

CasaClima Nature is a building certification protocol promoted by the Agenzia CasaClima in Bolzano that takes into consideration not only energy consumption, but also the impact on the environment and on the health and wellbeing of the people living there. CasaClima Nature introduces an objective assessment of the eco-compatibility of the materials and systems used in construction and of the building's water impact.

Eurotherm, as a CasaClima partner, proposes some systems that can be included in the Nature certification.

 

LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE TM

THE WORLD'S MOST RIGOROUS SUSTAINABILITY STANDARD

The International Living Building Challenge Protocol is the world's most rigorous sustainability standard for buildings and communities. It is developed and promoted by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a non-profit environmental organisation committed to catalysing transformation towards communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.

Living Building Challenge is both a philosophy, a sustainability certification protocol and an environmental support tool for projects that do not simply want to reduce their impact, but to zero it by becoming a positive resource for the environment and the community. This is why the certification is based on the actual performance of buildings, rather than hypothetical or derived from a calculation model.

It includes seven performance categories, which in turn are divided into twenty Imperatives, each of which focuses on a specific area.

  • Place
  • Water
  • Energy
  • Health & Happiness
  • Materials
  • Equity
  • Beauty

[Source: Living Building Challenge 3.1 protocol]

 

WELL BUILDING STANDARD TM

CERTIFICATION OF HEALTHINESS AND WELLBEING FOR OCCUPANTS OF ROOMS

The WELL Building Standard (WELL) is the new international protocol specially designed by the US-based International WELL Building Institute (IWBITM) to certify the level of healthiness and well-being of those who occupy rooms. It is based on the measurement, certification and monitoring of all aspects of the building that may have an impact on health and well-being.

The WELL standard is designed especially for companies, where it is more common to invest in people's well-being because it is easier to demonstrate the economic return on such investments. In fact, the most virtuous companies could achieve healthier and more comfortable working environments, thereby increasing the productivity of their employees. But IWBI is also launching pilot projects in different areas, such as apartment buildings, commercial units, schools and restaurants.