“Methodology Comparative Analysis” in the Solar Decathlon Competition: A Proposed Housing Model based on a Prefabricated Structural System

J.F. Luna-Tintos, Carlos Cobreros, Rafael Herrera-Limones and Álvaro López-Escamilla
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J.F. Luna-Tintos: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76010, Mexico
Carlos Cobreros: Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Santiago de Querétaro 76140, Mexico
Rafael Herrera-Limones: Instituto Universitario de Arquitectura y Ciencias de la Construcción, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
Álvaro López-Escamilla: Instituto Universitario de Arquitectura y Ciencias de la Construcción, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: The construction sector, by direct or indirect actions, consumes more than 40% of the global energy produced and is responsible for 30% of CO 2 emissions. It is a need of the construction industry to transform its practices and processes by proposing systems of lower demand to the environment. In this sense, closed prefabrication and industrialization as a constructive process could be the key to seek savings and efficiency from its origin to the end of life of buildings. In this context, this article presents a methodological proposal of quantitative, qualitative and comparative analysis of the structural systems of eight prototypes presented in the “Solar Decathlon” contest in its North-American and Latin-American editions (both of them in 2015) and the European edition (in 2014). This methodology deduces the characteristics of a structural system of lower environmental demand and the characteristics of these constructive processes, in favor of a new paradigm of sustainability and to be applied in innovative systems of new housing models.

Keywords: solar; prototype; system structure; construction; prefabrication; industrialization; sustainability; environmental; architecture; competition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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