Guidelines to integrate biodiversity into construction projects

The construction industry is facing increasing requirements to design more energy efficient and airtight buildings to meet global warming targets. This focus reduces the importance attached to preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this article, we show that these buildings are not ecological-friendly if we consider their entire life cycle from cradle to cradle. First, materials used in construction- their sourcing, assembly and disposal – have large consequences regarding both GHG emissions and ecological footprint. Second, biodiversity is often considered only as “protection of species” - (bird nests, green plants or beehives) or “green painting” (industrial green roofs) while actor should focus on maintenance of ecological processes and functions. Thus, Natureparif encourage the actors to think in a life cycle approach regarding: planning - construction - management of properties and end-of-life of buildings, both in time and space. Following this framework, we propose to maintain/restore/enhance biodiversity through:

• The choice of location and the refurbishment of existing building in order to reduce urban sprawl and soil sealing;
• The design of architecture compatible with the local context (hydrology, climate, habitats and species, ecological networks/corridors soils parameters, human context) ;
• The choice of materials, their sourcing and disposal;
• Green space design and management
• ecological engineering systems such as wetland for water treatment and green roofs;
• Energy mix production reaching self-sufficiency and short distance synergies such as urban agriculture.

These guidelines do not only benefit biodiversity but also citizen’s health and well-being.