Sustainable building - what does that mean?
It is much more than just a trend, rather it is our duty - sustainable building. Climate change shows that each of us must take care of our environment so that our home planet remains habitable. But what does sustainable building mean and what role does natural stone play in it?
Aspects of sustainable construction
According to Duden, the word sustainable means having an effect over a longer period of time. When it comes to sustainable construction, it is always important to keep an eye on the long-term future. The German Sustainable Building Council defines a total of six aspects:
- ecology
- economy
- socio-cultural aspect
- functional aspect
- technology
- process
- location
Sustainable building requires teamwork
All of these factors make it clear that sustainable construction must be considered from the outset and in all aspects of the construction project. The prerequisite for this is a basic attitude: everyone involved in the construction project should always question their own actions, processes and materials with regard to their sustainability. To achieve this, all those involved, architects, builders, planners, as well as the municipalities and ultimately the craft businesses must pull together.
What is important when it comes to building materials
Building materials play a key role in sustainable construction. The key question here is: what are the long-term consequences of using the materials?
If you get to the bottom of this question when building, you will quickly come to the following aspects:
- How durable are the building materials?
- How sustainably were these manufactured?
- How long are the transport routes?
- How complex is the installation and what other materials are required?
- Are the materials recyclable or reusable?
Natural stones as sustainable building materials
There are big differences in the use of natural stones. If you want to build sustainably, you should make your selection carefully and know what requirements the respective application entails. Hard, high-density stones, for example, are more durable than permeable sandstone or natural stone imitations, especially outdoors and in wet areas. In addition, natural stone does not always have to travel the long way across the oceans, even though there are types of natural stone in Europe that make sustainable construction possible. Thanks to the different formats in which natural stones are now available thanks to precise milling and sawing, they can be laid like tiles. Most natural stones can be removed and used for a new purpose or returned to nature.
At Grünig Natursteine, we even manufacture our products in a climate-neutral manner and are in personal contact with tilers in our network. Our natural stones are already part of award-winning sustainable buildings, including the Fuchsegg Eco Lodge, the Vigilius Mountain Resort and the Sparkassen-Zentrale in Göttingen.
Our conclusion
With natural stone you are using a natural material in sustainable construction. Anyone who takes a closer look and chooses the right one for the respective project from the variety of natural stones will benefit from the longevity and robustness of the stones, their respective properties and their natural beauty.
Let us advise you
Are you planning a sustainable construction project? Talk to us - we would be happy to advise you on the possibilities of the different natural stones that we produce in our own quarries in South Tyrol.