Sustainable building is understood to be any construction that involves the least possible use of non-renewable natural resources.

From this viewpoint, any construction that operates in favour of less energy consumption, both in terms of construction and use, can be classified as sustainable.

To put this term into perspective, different aspects of the construction and products used must be analysed, such as the life cycle of the materials, the carbon footprint, their contribution to energy savings, and favouring the establishment of a comfortable environment inside the building.

Preliminary analysis

The design of the construction project is the first consideration to be considered, if the objective is to favor the environmental sustainability of a building.

In said project, different aspects must be taken into account, such as: location, orientation, thermal variations, reuse, energy adequacy, use of materials, etc.

There is an element that is of vital importance to the development of a sustainable building, which is no other than the building cladding, as it constitutes a protection barrier against external agents, in addition to favouring thermal inertia. It could be termed “the building’s protective skin.”

In this context, different construction systems that endorse this matter can be considered adequate materials for sustainable construction:

1. The GECOL TERM ETICS system, which consists of thermal and acoustic insulation on the exterior of the building.

In short, it involves the total renovation of the building envelope, even modifying its aesthetic appearance.

2. GECOL – KNAUF INSULATION, which consists of thermal and acoustic insulation installed on double-sided cladding.

3. Lastly, coating mortars manufactured with eco-sustainability may also be considered which, due to their nature, contribute to the exchange of gases and to the greater healthiness of the interior of the building, as they are coatings mortars based on air lime or hydraulic lime.

Said products ensure a small carbon footprint, act as a source of CO₂ and favor gas exchange between the interior and exterior of the building.

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