Eco/sustainable building in Portugal

The construction industry, which absorbs large quantities of resources and produces a high amount of waste, bearing at the same time a significant weight in the country’s economy, namely for its relationship with society, cannot keep away from the objectives and goals of sustainable development. According to the Institute for the Development of Ecological Buildings (IDHEA), sustainable construction is a system promoting conscientious and sustainable changes aiming to preserve the environment. Eco-construction consists of building with as low an environmental impact as possible, creating buildings with repairing impacts on the environment. Eco/sustainable building in Portugal 1) Define from your country context what eco/sustainable building means

 Minimize resource consumption  Maximize the reuse of resources  Recycle materials  Protect the environment  Eliminate toxic materials  Increase the quality of the built environments Eco/sustainable building in Portugal Sustainable construction proposes to:

2)What legislation exists about eco building in each country, does it exist? In Portugal there is no legislation specifically concerning sustainability in construction, only some regulations on issues which are important for sustainability in construction, such as:  Regulation of the thermal efficiency of buildings  Regulation on the quality of indoor air  Regulation on the use of solar energy  Regulation on the use of soil space  Regulation on the environmental impact of large construction sites  Directives concerning the environment in the EU  Legislation on waste from construction Eco/sustainable building in Portugal

In Portugal there are systems for evaluating sustainability in construction, but they are merely voluntary. Here are a few examples:  LiderA platform  SBTool platform  DAPHabitat platform (for construction materials) Eco/sustainable building in Portugal

3) What training paths already exist in your country and at what level (vocational / university/other)? At the level of higher education for architects and engineers, there are a few curricular units concerning innovation and sustainability in construction. At the level of vocational training there are still no paths specifically oriented towards sustainable construction, only a few organizations and associations locally promoting some training actions on this topic. Eco/sustainable building in Portugal

4) Questionnaire/Survey (still under way, for later study and comment) 4.1- Is it possible to combine the new and old or eco techniques considering the need for energy efficiency? YES 4.2- What are the challenges in the new and old and combining the two? A LOT Eco/sustainable building in Portugal

Thank you!