BUILDING LIFECYCLE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Achieving sustainability within the built environment necessitates a holistic, lifecycle-oriented approach that mitigates environmental degradation, optimizes economic efficiency, and fosters societal well-being. This paper delves into sustainability-driven methodologies spanning four critical phases of a building’s existence: design, construction, operation, and demolition. The design phase underscores passive architectural strategies, high performance materials, and biophilic elements to enhance ecological harmony and occupant health. The construction phase prioritizes resource-conscious methodologies, waste minimization, and ethical labour practices, ensuring environmental stewardship and social equity. In the operational phase, smart building technologies, adaptive energy systems, and resilient infrastructure facilitate long-term efficiency, reducing carbon footprints and operational expenditures. Lastly, sustainable deconstruction emphasizes circular economy principles, repurposing materials, minimizing landfill contributions, and restoring sites for future use. By embedding sustainability across each stage of a building’s lifecycle, stakeholders including architects, urban planners, and policymaker can drive a paradigm shift toward regenerative and net-zero developments. This paper critically examines emerging innovations, systemic challenges, and best practices, advocating for an integrative framework that aligns sustainability with economic pragmatism and social inclusivity.