Sustainable building

Research team
We deal with the issue of sustainable building throughout the entire life cycle. We offer a new approach to the design, implementation and operation of buildings and urban complexes in such a way that meets a wide range of functional, economic, environmental, social and cultural requirements.

We are dedicated to assessing the sustainability of projects and GPP - Green Public Procurement, CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility - consulting in the area of reducing the impact of construction on the environment with the implementation of Environmental, Social and Corporate governance principles. We guide investors of new buildings and renovations of eco-friendly buildings through the process of creating project specifications. We deal with the circular economy and recycling in the construction industry. We develop tools for comprehensive assessment of building quality and life cycle assessment of building elements and buildings.

Main activities of the team

Efficient buildings - we consult on ecological building concepts and organize interactive workshops for architectural teams showing possible directions of ecological building design, we propose solutions for reducing the carbon footprint of buildings throughout their entire life cycle.

Voluntary certification tools and environmental labeling systems - we are developing the only certification system SBToolCZ of eco-friendly buildings, which is based on Czech legislation.
We make it possible to assess the comprehensive quality of buildings and demonstrate the environmental benefits of environmentally friendly projects. We carry out life cycle assessments of buildings and comparative environmental impact studies. We assess the life cycle of construction products that allow manufacturers to declare environmental properties in the form of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

Sparing awarding of public contracts - we help the state administration in the high-quality and efficient preparation of public construction contracts. We support the state administration with consultations and expert opinions in the creation of subsidy programs.

Involving all stakeholders (participation) - in cooperation with a team of social scientists, we involve the public through participatory activities that are adequate for the given assignment. In the case of adaptations or ambiguous intentions, we take clients through test phase 0, during which the most suitable way of functioning of the place is clarified and thus we help to create a high-quality basis for assigning further work.

Smart and sustainable urban development - we help integrate blue and green infrastructure into existing spatial plans. We support municipalities in the high-quality development of public spaces and carry them out through a participatory design process. We have created a set of indicators for smart cities, with which we create strategies and action plans in cooperation with municipalities to improve life in cities.

Circular economy - we look for the most advantageous ways of using secondary raw materials in construction products and evaluate the environmental impacts of recycling in the construction industry. We manage the recyklujmestavby.cz portal, which informs the professional and lay public about the possibilities of the circular economy in the construction industry.

Results

Equipment

SimaPro software for life cycle modeling in version 2018. Can be used, among other things, for processing EPD assessments and LCA studies.
Methodology for sustainability assessment of the building including the environmental impact of structures and buildings - National tool for building quality certification SBToolCZ.
Access to the Ecoinvent database containing data on the environmental impact of materials, products and processes.