EcoHestia: A Comprehensive Building Environmental Assessment Scheme, Based on Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

The sustainability assessment of building materials presents a major challenge the building physics community must approach, in order to establish justified sustainable solutions for the built environment. This study introduces EcoHestia, a comprehensive environmental building assessment tool, whose operation is based on a standardized, transparent, verifiable and internationally recognized approach life cycle approach (ISO 14040 series). The methodology as well as the rationale of EcoHestia is presented in detail. The major parameters which are considered, and the required assumptions for the development and establishment of the proposed building materials sustainability scheme are introduced and discussed in detail. A case study concerning the sustainability assessment of two buildings with the use of EcoHestia is presented and discussed.