Exploring and Implementing Sustainable Building Materials in Architectural Design

Abstract

Sustainable buildings is the most recent architectural and engineering concern, it has an essential role in achieving sustainability. Therefore a careful selection of environmentally sustainable building materials is the initial way for architects to begin incorporating sustainable principles in architectural designs for buildings. Despite the interest and awareness of architectures about sustainable building materials and general studies made in that field, it is not used and implemented as required especially in Sudan. This impresses the environmental and social aspects and increases the cost of construction projects and therefore affects the economic aspect. Mains goal of this research is to achieve sustainable principles in buildings, economically, environmentally and socially through energy efficiency and water conservation, natural resource use and indoor air quality, meet the standards of living and be a part of the community. Methodology of the research is a descriptive and analytic method, based on litliture review, data collection of building materials and case study. Case study will observe all data collected for sustainable building materials and method of implementation used in a building in Khartoum city – Sudan, then analyze it and shows the results of using the sustainable building materials in that building. The conclusion and recommendations of the research urged all stakeholders in the building industry from owners, engineers and contractors to apply the concept of using sustainable building materials according to the environment of the project, which can achieved by considering this concept through design life cycle and materials life cycle.