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[Glossary]
LONG LIFE, MINOR IMPACT
A prime ingredient of sustainable architecture is durability. If a building doesn't last for a long time, it would be a waste of a lot of energy embodied in the building, from both a human and a resource perspective… not to mention the economic loss. The selection of building materials to be used in construction is an important element of the building’s sustainability. Selection criteria for building materials in the industry generally revolve around cost. The cost of materials, however, is deceptive on two levels. First, these costs are by and large initial costs, which do not place much emphasis on life expectancy or durability, since most buildings today are not designed to last. Secondly, these costs do not factor in the environmental damages incurred in producing and transporting the materials.

From a sustainability perspective, a material, component or system may be considered durable when its useful service life (performance) s reasonably comparable with the time required for related impacts on the environment to be absorbed by the ecosystem. The durability of materials is therefore a function of their use that is balanced by the condition of environmental restoration.


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