How to improve the sustainability of the building sector through the description of the technical elements

Abstract

To increase the level of sustainability of the built environment, it is necessary to understand that the life cycle of buildings and of the parts which make them up is articulated and complex. This complexity depends on the number of inputs and outputs of each process in the extraction of raw materials, production, installation, use, maintenance and end of life. Another type of non-negligible issues is linked to the method of analysis of the life cycle described, to the methods of data collection, to the processing and to the communication of information. This paper analyses all of the above, starting from the description of the window system, which is made up of many different parts and materials and which is the subject of recent European regulations. From the analysis of the market trends of windows and doors and from the reading of the certifications which attest to the sustainability of the life cycle of a window, it is possible to understand the complexity of the building system. This also makes it possible to identify critical issues and possible solutions for improving the efficiency of the set of rules, incentives and practices used to improve the level of sustainability of windows and, more generally, of buildings. The hope is that any innovation (in the field of needs, standards and technology) can lead to an improvement in the sustainability of construction products. The goal is to make not only the windows "antifragile", but also all the other parts of the building system.