The ecological footprint of building construction

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the environmental pressure generated by the construction of two types of building, through the application of ecological footprint analysis. The appraisal of the impact of human settlement on the environment is of great concern and environmentally-friendly buildings are actually required. By considering the embodied energy of building materials and the "land area" required to sustain their assembly line, a comparison between the ecological footprint of two typical buildings in the context of Italy is presented. Finally, it is shown that the ecological footprint of building construction can be reduced by using environmentally- inexpensive materials, renewable energy resources and by optimizing bioproductive land use through the construction of multi-storeyed buildings.