Ceramic panels versus aluminium in buildings: Energy consumption and environmental impact assessment with a new methodology

In the field of architecture, there is a growing awareness as to the relevance of using building materials that are produced in same geographical area as the buildings to be constructed. Important implications of these projects include environmental impact reductions deriving from less energy needed for transporting the materials, as well as the activation of the regional economy by promoting local materials. Effects are all the more significant in the case of emblematic buildings with repercussions in the media, in which aesthetic criteria are often placed before functional ones. This study examines the case of the Museu de Bellas Artes de Castellon (the Fine Arts Museum in Castellon, Spain). Cast aluminium recycled panels were used for the facade's finishing material. Based on life cycle analysis (LCA), a comparison with the scenario of having used large-format ceramic panels, produced in the region in which the building is located, is given. A new evaluation methodology, Life Cycle Construction Assessment of Envelopes (LCCA-e) was applied, introducing the analysis of constructive improvements derived from the application of new facade materials. The reduction of derived environmental impacts was evaluated, obtaining 65.6% and 67.7% of the GER and GWP indicators in the production phase and a reduction of these indicators by 87.1% and 86.8% respectively in the complete LCA. This was also due to the reduction of energy needed for transport, as well as a reduction in annual energy demand by 8.55%, evaluated by monitoring, calibration and simulation using EnergyPlus.