Achieving sustainability in new build and retrofit: Building performance and life cycle analysis

Abstract

The definition of a sustainable building is not a straightforward one. There are many criteria upon which the sustainability of a building can be judged, including but not limited to energy performance, financial viability and environmental and social impact (Berardi 2013). Any determination of the sustainability of a building will be dependent upon the criteria used to assess it. Much of the work undertaken by the Leeds Sustainability Institute on building sustainability focusses on energy performance in buildings.