PROGRAMME

On a global basis, buildings consume about 60% of raw materials per weight and almost 1/3 of the global energy consumption quantities. For many years the most important issue determining the sustainability of a building has been the energy consumed during its operation. However, recently a trend has emerged towards the consideration of the building’s energy use on a life cycle basis rather than only in their operation; thus, including the construction, operation and end of life phases. The objective of the present work is to describe the development and the implementation of a methodology for the comparative environmental performance of a building between two alternative solutions; namely its new construction versus its refurbishment. The comparative evaluation is based on detailed estimation of two important magnitudes, that of the embodied energy and the embodied carbon. The methodology has been implemented in one of the most emblematic buildings in Attica Region, the Piraeus Tower that is undergoing a total refurbishment. The methodology may be applied in other buildings of various types and uses and provide a useful decision support tool for the selection between re-construction or refurbishment, leading to more sustainable in environmental terms as well as more financially efficient developments.