Title: Strategies to assess the sustainability in the rehabilitation process - a tool for interventions in old centres

Authors: Ana Ferreira Ramos; J.A.R. Mendes Da Silva

Addresses: Superior School of Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000 767 Castelo Branco, Portugal ' Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3030 788 – Coimbra, Portugal

Abstract: In order to reduce the pace of new constructions, it is necessary to rethink the city and act upon the built environment taking into account the impact of the urban expansion. These interventions must be conditioned by the need to guide human activity towards the sustainability principles. This paper presents a sustainability assessment model for buildings located in old city centres which have historical characteristics and are shaped by a built fabric of high cultural value but are often characterised by vacant houses and constructive degradation. The model was based on the analysis of other assessment systems used across the world and also on the study and characterisation of these specific urban areas. The main objective was to create a decision support tool to guide designers and technicians involved in interventions in the built environment, as well as the user in terms of occupation and building maintenance, particularly regarding resource consumption and waste generation.

Keywords: sustainable rehabilitation; sustainable construction; sustainability assessment; urban intervention; traditional construction; old city centres; historic city centres; cultural value; sustainable development; built environment; resource consumption; waste generation; building rehabilitation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2014.064179

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2014 Vol.17 No.3, pp.227 - 241

Received: 12 Oct 2011
Accepted: 28 May 2012
Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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