Sustainable construction

type: Article , Topic: Building & Housing

Sustainable construction is a pillar of the Federal Government’s sustainable development strategy.

Few buzzwords feature so strongly in expert and public debate as the term sustainability. However, sustainability must be explicitly integrated into everyday practice within a holistic approach, while also standing out as an additional quality. 

The Federation aims for its buildings to make an active contribution to sustainable development so it can live up to its duty as role model in the area of sustainable and energy-efficient construction. 

Taking the basic requirement of equal provision for social and environmental aspects, which is key to economic development, as a starting point, the foundations were laid for the equal consideration of the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects, as set out in the Federation’s first Guideline for Sustainable Building, published in 2001. 

Sustainable building evaluation system for federal buildings (Bewertungssystem Nachhaltiges Bauen für Bundesgebäude, BNB)

The sustainable building evaluation system for federal buildings provides a comprehensive quantitative evaluation process that is complementary to the Guidelines for Sustainable Building. 

It is unusual in its comprehensive assessment of the entire life cycle of the buildings evaluated, taking environmental, economic and socio-cultural quality, as well as technical aspects and processes, into account. The characteristics of the buildings’ locations are also recorded and reported. 

The aim of this new, holistic sustainability approach is to create a scientific, planning-based evaluation system for sustainable buildings which also reflects international developments in the standardisation of sustainable construction. 

Sustainability criteria, system regulations and additional information are published, revised and updated via the sustainable construction information portal.

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