Ε10

Building sector and environment. Buildings’ environmental performance. Methods and tools for the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings and of the built environment (for every examined method: framework, basic principles, structure, main assessed categories, methodology, etc.). Life cycle analysis and assessment. Restoration and environmental performance. Environmental dimension of historic / heritage buildings’ performance and restoration / refurbishment (also reference to monumental constructions). Specificities / particularities of environmental performance assessment in the context of historic buildings’ restoration / refurbishment in comparison with modern constructions. Associated to historic buildings considerations and issues in existing environmental performance assessment methods and examples of related approaches and evaluations internationally. Distinctive characteristics of historical buildings. Assessing the thermal vulnerability and behaviour of building structures. Illuminating the relationships between building elements' thermal resistance and thermal capacity. Utilising the thermal inertia of building materials. Strategies for enhancing the thermal behaviour of older building designs.