Sustainable building: assessment tool in Brazil

Abstract

The concepts about sustainable development include the environmental, economic and social sustainability, emphasizing the quality of life of people and communities. In the case of Brazil, the investment in this field can be considered as being recent in what to the scientific research is concerned. The country does not have a wide database regarding its five regions, capable of covering aspects such as climate, along with the social, cultural and economic reality. Furthermore, in Brazil does not yet exist an assessment tool that may be able to answer to all the country's questions. In this context, this paper aims to contribute to the development of new assessment strategies by introducing the national panorama of certified buildings and taking into account the current conditions and the differences between the five main regions in which the country is divided: Midwest, Northeast, North, South and Southeast. It is intended to help the professionals that work on this subject and to support sustainable development in the Construction Industry in Brazil.