Achieving sustainability in construction and maintenance of housing. An analysis based on a comparison of the Dutch and Peruvian situation

Recently, the author worked as a development aid worker in Peru. Lessons are drawn from this experience and from experience in the Netherlands, comparing the differences in sustainable building caused by culture, history and available techniques. Exchange of technology or technology transfer may help countries to learn from each other and achieve more sustainability. The paper uses examples drawn from the Netherlands and Peru of achieved and achievable sustainability with an eye to the functional quality, the architectural quality and the use of resources for housing. This is done for the building product, the system and the building as a whole. When comparing the situation in both countries, we find that Peru, as a LDC, sometimes has the advantage of being "retarded" in its development. Therefore, the correction of "negative" actions towards the environment can be made far more easily than in the case of a developed country. Transfer of technology (North-South & South-North) and choice of technology may be important. Based on experiences in both countries, a research programme was set up. The paper describes the investigation into the reduction of waste and residues by carrying out sustainable renovation and maintenance projects

Re-use of building components. (Towards zero waste in renovation)

The enormous amount of waste produced during building and renovation is a serious environmental problem, which is worsening as building activities increase over the years. This paper investigates, in a case study, the possibilities for reducing waste production in renovation activities. A different approach to the planning phase results in more materials being left on the site or being re-used, and a change in floor plans leads to more re-use of materials, less waste, and less need for new materials. The achievable reduction of environmental impact is calculated with Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) calculations. The environmental impact of this renovation project could be lowered by 5-10%, which is promising for other ones. More precise data on impact of waste reduction will be obtained if LCA is improved. Better coordination during demolition will provide for more re-use