Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
Head of Research Group: Jørgen Rose
The research group works on the sustainability assessment of buildings, including certification and voluntary sustainability class. The group has a special focus on improving the environmental profile of buildings through the use of life cycle assessments (LCA) in the construction industry through our tool for the industry, LCAbyg. We support the construction sector’s opportunities to contribute to achieving the necessary climate goals, environmental sustainability, and circular economy.
Need for knew knowledge
Today, LCA calculations show that building materials are more environmentally harmful than the building’s energy use over its life cycle. The building materials, therefore, contain great potential concerning the climate, environment, and resources, and new knowledge is needed on how this harm can be reduced.
To achieve greater sustainability in construction, which can be achieved through certification, municipal requirements, procurement requirements, and the upcoming voluntary sustainability class in the building regulations, it is necessary to keep up to date with the latest knowledge and participate in the development of sustainability assessments at Nordic, European, and international levels.
Research Efforts
The group researches how to reduce the environmental profiles of building materials and of entire buildings in the context of an overall sustainability assessment. We do this by examining the effects of sensible material choices, developing design strategies, and testing the effect of circular economics in construction. We also investigate the best methods to renovate existing buildings. In addition, we examine the total building stock and carry out analyses and demonstration projects where we demonstrate that significant reductions can be achieved in practice.
- Sustainability assessment of buildings
- Life cycle assessment (LCA)
- Circular economy
- Materials and design strategies
- Climate change impact
- Embodied carbon
Cooperation
The research group collaborates with the Danish authorities, the construction industry, and international research institutions.
Application
The research results are translated into tools, guidance, and teaching, targeting all construction industry players. Here, the complexity of sustainability, LCA, and circular economics is communicated through publications, and LCA calculations are made available to a larger target group through our tool, LCAbyg, on which BUILD courses for professionals are held. The research is also used in the work on building regulations to define the future requirements for LCA.
Fingerprint
Collaborations from the last five years
Profiles
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Camilla Marlene Ernst Andersen
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - PhD Fellow
- Department of the Built Environment - PhD Fellow
- Division of Energy and Sustainability in Buildings - PhD Fellow
- Sustainability of Buildings Research Group - PhD Fellow
Person: VIP
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Maria Balouktsi
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - Postdoc, Post.Doc.
- Department of the Built Environment - Postdoc, Post.Doc.
- Division of Energy and Sustainability in Buildings - Postdoc, Post.Doc.
- Sustainability of Buildings Research Group - Post.Doc.
Person: VIP
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Harpa Birgisdottir
- The Faculty of Engineering and Science - Professor
- Department of the Built Environment - Professor
- Division of Energy and Sustainability in Buildings - Professor
- Sustainability of Buildings Research Group - Professor
Person: VIP
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Limit values - Task 4 activities of project “Nordic harmonisation of life cycle assessment"
Balouktsi, M., Birgisdottir, H., Hoxha, E. & Kanafani, K.
01/06/2023 → 31/07/2024
Project: Research
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Realdania projekt: Klimadata for renovering
Kanafani, K., Wittchen, K. B., Laursen, K. G. & Haugbølle, K.
01/05/2023 → 31/05/2024
Project: Consultancy
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Limit values and reporting - Task 4 activities of project ”Nordic harmonisation of life cycle assessment“
Kanafani, K., Hoxha, E. & Balouktsi, M.
01/04/2023 → 30/06/2024
Project: Research
Research output
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Boligbyggeri fra 4 til 1 planet: 24 best practice cases
Garnow, A., Tozan, B., Nielsen, L. H., Stranddorf, L. K., Tsang, K. S., Andersen, C. M. E., Sørensen, C. G. & Birgisdottir, H., 5 Feb 2024, 2 ed. BUILD, Aalborg Universitet.: Institut for Byggeri, By og Miljø (BUILD), Aalborg Universitet. 203 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report › Research
Open AccessFile -
Dataset of smart heat and water meter data with accompanying building characteristics
Schaffer, M., Veit, M., Marszal-Pomianowska, A., Frandsen, M., Pomianowski, M. Z., Dichmann, E., Sørensen, C. G. & Kragh, J., Feb 2024, In: Data in Brief. 52, 16 p., 109964.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)19 Downloads (Pure) -
Dokumentation af LCAbyg 2023: Kortlægning for LCA-beregning og efterlevelse af BR-kravene i beregningen med udgangspunkt i LCAbyg23 værktøjet
Olsen, C. O., Pinholt, M., Sørensen, C. G. & Birgisdottir, H., 11 Mar 2024, 1 ed. BUILD, Aalborg Universitet: Institut for Byggeri, By og Miljø (BUILD), Aalborg Universitet. 35 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report › Communication
File
Datasets
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Dataset of smart heat and water meter data with accompanying building characteristics
Schaffer, M. (Creator), Veit, M. (Contributor), Marszal-Pomianowska, A. (Data Manager), Frandsen, M. (Contributor), Pomianowski, M. Z. (Contributor), Dichmann, E. (Contributor), Sørensen, C. G. (Contributor) & Kragh, J. (Contributor), VBN, 27 Nov 2023
DOI: 10.5278/7e93e42e-38fc-4d87-ad68-ff1a2d1091aa, https://forefront-api.build.aau.dk/wayf-login/
Dataset
File -
Building design and construction strategies for a circular economy
Birgisdottir, H. (Creator), Eberhardt, L. C. M. (Creator) & Birkved, M. (Creator), Taylor & Francis, 24 Aug 2020
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12852852.v1, https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Building_design_and_construction_strategies_for_a_circular_economy/12852852/1
Dataset: Supplementary material
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Data for: Embodied GHG emissions of buildings - the hidden challenge for effective climate change mitigation
Frischknecht, R. (Contributor), Birgisdottir, H. (Contributor), Passer, A. (Creator), Rasmussen, F. N. (Contributor), L?tzkendorf, T. (Contributor), Habert, G. (Contributor), R?ck, M. (Contributor), Saade, M. R. M. (Contributor) & Balouktsi, M. (Contributor), Mendeley Data, 31 Mar 2020
DOI: 10.17632/kyz9rj8x3t.1, https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/kyz9rj8x3t
Dataset
Prizes
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Talentprisen ved Building Awards 2023
Andersen, Camilla Marlene Ernst (Recipient), Nov 2023
Prize: Research, education and innovation prizes
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Best paper at Sustainable Built Environment in Berlin 2022
Eberhardt, Leonora Charlotte Malabi (Recipient) & Birgisdottir, Harpa (Recipient), Sept 2022
Prize: Conference prizes
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Det Bæredygtige Element - Produktprisen
Kanafani, Kai (Recipient), Sørensen, Christian Grau (Recipient), Birgisdottir, Harpa (Recipient), Zimmermann, Regitze Kjær (Recipient), Rasmussen, Freja Nygaard (Recipient), Malabi Larsen, Leonora Charlotte (Recipient) & Andersen, Camilla Marlene Ernst (Recipient), 30 Oct 2019
Prize: Research, education and innovation prizes
Activities
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Presentation of the Doughnut for Urban Development manual and the Biodiversity assessment tool.
Nicolas Francart (Lecturer)
14 Dec 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Talks and presentations in private or public companies
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Webinar om bygningsreglementets krav til efterisolering
Jesper Kragh (Lecturer)
8 Nov 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Conference presentations
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85th LCA Discussion Forum: Electricity in buildings LCA: State of the art, challenges and ways ahead
Maria Balouktsi (Lecturer)
Nov 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Conference presentations
Press/Media
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Ungt talent med sans for bæredygtighed kan vinde branchepris
Camilla Marlene Ernst Andersen
10/04/2024
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Byggebranche og forsker: Uvished om CO2-krav får konsekvenser for både klima og økonomi
09/04/2024
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Palads-byggeri kræver undtagelse fra klimakrav: "Så sort, som det næsten kan være"
Jannick Schmidt & Harpa Birgisdottir
01/04/2024 → 04/04/2024
10 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
Impacts
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Sustainable construction with Circle House
Harpa Birgisdottir (Participant)
Impact: Social impact, Cultural impact
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Test creates foundation for sustainable construction
Kim Haugbølle (Participant) & Harpa Birgisdottir (Participant)
Impact: Social impact, Public policy impact, Other impact, Economic impact