On Tuesday, September 17, BUILD UP hosted the fourth webinar, part of a series of six webinars, organised with the COST Action project on “Stakeholder Webinar Series – Building Design Teams & Building Users, Facility Managers, and Owners”. The webinar explored the implementation of circular design principles in buildings. The speakers discussed key considerations for successful circular design, energy efficiency in sustainable buildings, and a case study of a circularly designed resort.
The webinar started with an introduction on the circular design of buildings, made by Gunita Kuļikovska-Ķiesnere, Director of the New Building School – Sustainable Construction at the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. ‘The built environment emissions are not just related to the operations phase: the implementation of circular design principles in buildings reflects an approach that encompasses the full life cycle of construction, also addressing the embedded CO2 emissions’, commented Kuļikovska-Ķiesnere.
During the second session, Ricardo Sá, Director at Edifícios Saudáveis, provided insights about energy efficiency of sustainable and circular buildings. ‘Edifícios Saudáveis has been involved in numerous projects in both Europe and Brazil, contributing significantly to the enhancement of indoor environmental quality’, said Sá.
Finally, Ivan Krešimir Kriste, Investment Projects Sector Director at Valamar Riviera, presented the Valamar Amicor Green Resort, the first family resort on the Croatian Adriatic built according to principles of sustainable construction and designed to co-exist in harmony with nature. 'Instead of aiming to maximize the particle's potential, we have opted for minimization. This involves minimizing the impact on the local population and the environment. We have focused on adopting a sustainable approach in two categories of resort development: product concept and service concept. This includes emphasis on architecture and landscaping, construction methodology, materials, and obtaining DGNB certification' , concluded Krešimir Kriste.
