In order to achieve its main objective of concentrating resources to enhance the business and social value of knowledge on the sustainability of the built environment, the Platform for Sustainable Construction, the managing entity of the Sustainable Habitat cluster in Portugal, promotes an international event every two years aimed at companies, R&D centers, local authorities, and other entities interested in showcasing their activities in this area and discussing the role that Sustainable Construction can play in Innovation, particularly within the Sustainable Habitat cluster.
This led to the creation of the Congress on Innovation in Sustainable Construction (CINCOS) in 2008, which aims, in each edition, to address five themes considered fundamental and intended to generate a repository of useful knowledge for Innovation and Competitiveness of the cluster and its sustainability.
The five Themes are:
1 – Materials and products for construction;
(Life cycle assessment; Durability of materials and products; Recycling and valorization of waste; New functionalities in products; Sustainability of production processes; Reduction of emissions; Natural or renewable materials; Elimination of toxic materials; Environmental and energy criteria in the selection of materials; …).
2 – Technologies and systems for construction and rehabilitation;
(Sustainability assessment systems for construction; Life cycle assessment; Bioclimatic architecture and construction; Conservation and rehabilitation of buildings; “Deconstructible” buildings; Adaptability of buildings; Nature-based building modeling; Technologies that minimize resource consumption; Home automation applied; Case studies; …).
3 – Impact and energy and environmental performance;
(Integration of renewable energies into buildings; Design and energy efficiency; Passive ventilation and climate control technologies; Energy generation; Indoor environmental quality; Case studies; …).
4 – Use of natural resources;
(Building hydrological cycles; Strategies for water consumption and supply; Rainwater harvesting; Strategy for wastewater; Soil movement; Preservation of “green” soils and use of “used” soils; Sustainable landscape design; Rehabilitation and enhancement of the local ecosystem in construction options; Case studies; …).
5 – Economy and management of sustainable construction.
(Economic balance of construction and sustainability activities; Costs associated with the life cycle (LCC); “Health and safety” planning; Management of construction and demolition waste; Management of subcontracting (costs and benefits); Economic analysis of eco-buildings; Quantification of energy and water savings; Quantification of benefits of waste and emission reductions; Case studies; …).
Abstracts for the 2008 / 2010 Edition:
- Materials and products for construction
- Technologies and systems for construction and rehabilitation
- Impact and energy and environmental performance
- Use of natural resources
- Economy and management of sustainable construction
