The Built Environment in the Context of Climate Change and a Circular Economy

In this project, coordinated by Prof. Lucas Rosse Caldas, climate change is considered one of humanity's greatest challenges, prompting us to question the current production process, which is essentially linear, leading to the depletion of natural resources and the generation of large amounts of waste and negative environmental impacts. In this context, the pursuit of more sustainable construction will only be possible if greenhouse gases, the adverse effects of climate change, and the use of circular economy strategies are taken into account. This research project aims to explore ways to approach the built environment from a holistic and systemic perspective, considering its entire life cycle—from the production of construction materials to execution, use, and end-of-life of buildings. To achieve this, the project focuses on: (1) the study of non-conventional materials (biomaterials, natural materials, waste-derived materials, etc.); (2) new design and construction strategies (BIM, digital fabrication, off-site construction, design for deconstruction and disassembly, building reuse and rehabilitation, etc.); and (3) analysis methodologies and tools, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Passports, and Information and Communication Technologies related to Industry 4.0 (Internet of Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc.), among others.

Involved students: Patricia Brandão De Sousa (Scientific Initiation), Giulia Fea de Oliveira (Scientific Initiation) , Rafaelle Saraiva Peçanha (Scientific Initiation), Maria Gomes Simas (Scientific Initiation), Ana Carolina Rocha (Scientific Initiation), Ana Beatriz Lima Joazeiro Cardão (Scientific Initiation), Beatriz da Silva de Sousa (Artistic Initiation).

To access the research at Sucupira click HERE