Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
Head of Research Group: Harpa Birgisdottir.
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 and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Realdania projekt: Klimadata for renovering
Kanafani, K. & Wittchen, K. B.
01/05/2023 → 31/05/2024
Project: Consultancy
-
Industrial PhD project: LCA tools for carbon optimised fire safety strategies in biobased buildings
Kanafani, K., Birgisdottir, H., Hoxha, E. & Dormohamadi, M.
01/04/2023 → 31/03/2026
Project: PhD Project
Research output
-
A practical approach to set up a simple database architecture using SQLite and Python
Veit, M., Sørensen, C. G., Pomianowski, M. Z., Johra, H. & Marszal-Pomianowska, A., 2023, Aalborg: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University. 28 p. (DCE Technical Reports; No. 315).Research output: Book/Report › Report › Research
Open AccessFile18 Downloads (Pure) -
A systematic review of consequential LCA on buildings: the perspectives and challenges of applications and inventory modelling
Hansen, R. N., Rasmussen, F. N., Ryberg, M. & Birgisdóttir, H., Feb 2023, In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 28, 2, p. 131-145 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Benchmarking and target-setting for the life cycle-based environmental performance of buildings: Energy in Buildings and Communities Technology Collaboration Programme
Lützkendorf, T., Balouktsi, M., Frischknecht, R., Peuportier, B., Rasmussen, F. N., Satola, D., Wiberg, A. H., Malmqvist, T., Obrecht, T. P. & Trigaux, D., 2023Research output: Book/Report › Report › Research › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
-
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
-
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
-
Low- carbon design strategies for new residential buildings – lessons from architectural practice
Birkved, M. (Creator), Birgisdottir, H. (Creator) & Rasmussen, F. N. (Creator), Taylor & Francis, 31 Mar 2020
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12053577.v2, https://doi.org/10.6084%2Fm9.figshare.12053577.v2
Dataset: Supplementary material
Prizes
-
Best paper at Sustainable Built Environment in Berlin 2022
Eberhardt, Leonora Charlotte Malabi (Recipient) & Birgisdottir, Harpa (Recipient), Sept 2022
Prize: Conference prizes
-
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
-
ROCKWOOL Prisen 2017
Birgisdottir, Harpa (Recipient), Aggerholm, Søren (Recipient) & Mortensen, Lone Hedegaard (Recipient), 8 Feb 2017
Prize: Other prizes
Activities
-
NSB 2023: 13th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics
Ruut Hannele Peuhkuri (Organizer), Per Kvols Heiselberg (Organizer), Hicham Johra (Organizer), Helen Halkjær Andersen (Organizer), Nebojsa Jakica (Organizer), Steffen Petersen (Organizer), Torben Valdbjørn Rasmussen (Organizer), Carsten Rode (Organizer), Vivi Søndergaard (Organizer) & Kim B. Wittchen (Organizer)
12 Jun 2023 → 14 Jun 2023Activity: Attending an event › Conference organisation or participation
File -
Webinar: Energirenovering og bevaringsværdige bygninger – kan de gå hånd i hånd?
Jesper Ole Jensen (Lecturer) & Ole Michael Jensen (Lecturer)
16 Mar 2023Activity: Talks and presentations › Talks and presentations in private or public companies
File -
NSB 2023: 13th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics (Event)
Kim B. Wittchen (Peer reviewer)
1 Dec 2022 → 30 Apr 2023Activity: Editorial work and peer review › Peer review of manuscripts › Research
Press/Media
-
Fire finalister til Talentprisen: Årets vinder skal have blik for detalje, helhed og mennesker
Camilla Marlene Ernst Andersen
22/09/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
-
Væk fra stål og beton: Ejendomsudvikler satser på ny byggetrend
15/09/2023 → 20/09/2023
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
-
Impacts
-
Sustainable construction with Circle House
Harpa Birgisdottir (Participant)
Impact: Social impact, Cultural impact
-
Test creates foundation for sustainable construction
Kim Haugbølle (Participant) & Harpa Birgisdottir (Participant)
Impact: Social impact, Public policy impact, Other impact, Economic impact