The aim of this book is to investigate the whole life cycle of a
building, regarded carbon emissions and energy consumption. Buildings
have considerable impact on environment: from construction, use,
maintenance and renewal to their demolition. Considering their
environmental, economic and social impacts, it is obvious that buildings
are an important part of sustainable cities. The current research has
been performed using the LCA methodology, which allows evaluating the
environmental burdens related to the production and use of a specific
product or service. The studied building was the PG centre of HW
University that is located in Riccarton Campus, Edinburgh. Results of
the analysis found the great contribution of use stage as it concerns
CO2 environmental impacts. At the construction stage, reinforced
concrete, plasterboard, steel and bricks were the most significant
material, regarding quantities. As it concerns carbon emissions, steel
is the most important material. The study focused on the small
distribution of end-use phase and the credits associated with the use of
recycled material since it can have a strong influence on the final
environmental impacts.