4. What are the environmental benefits?

The "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro (1972) emphasized for the first time the responsibility of nations for the future of the planet. Since then, public and political awareness of the need to protect the environment has grown, guaranteeing a future for all and for a whole range of natural resources threatened by degradation or depletion.

This development is leading us to rethink the design of contemporary architecture, which is still highly energy-intensive. Concepts as important as the life cycle of materials and structures, or the carbon footprint, integrating the need for optimal management of resources and energy for the production of materials, construction and use of buildings, directly challenge architects, project owners and contractors to produce architecture of much higher environmental quality.

In France, for example, since 2004,...