Sustainability Report

The project minimizes embodied carbon through reuse, lightweight construction, and material efficiency, employing several key strategies:

1. Adaptive Reuse: Existing structures like the Escola Modelo remnants and the EEPG Prudente de Moraes building were restored, retaining reinforced concrete and spatial organization. This avoided demolition and new construction, significantly lowering embodied carbon.
2. Prefabrication: Prefabricated roof and circulation systems using glulam, steel, and metal panels reduced waste, improved material efficiency, and minimized site disturbance.
3. Timber Structures: Glulam was used for the large canopy, leveraging timber's carbon-storing properties and reducing reliance on high-emission materials.
4. Underground Galleries: Exhibition spaces were located underground to minimize above-ground volume, reduce material use, and preserve the historic context.
5. Lightweight and Reversible Additions: The mezzanine was designed as an independent metallic structure, with supports installed without altering heritage faCades, allowing for reversibility and future disassembly.

1. Renewable Energy: On-site photovoltaic panels offset operational emissions by generating electricity.
2. High-Performance Building Systems: Efficient lighting, equipment, and monitoring systems optimize operational energy performance. Integrated HVAC systems minimize spatial energy losses.
3. Passive Design & Microclimate: A large timber canopy shades the external public space, reducing solar heat gain and cooling demand while improving thermal comfort.
4. Landscape & Vegetation: Preserving existing and introducing native vegetation reduces the urban heat island effect and supports microclimatic cooling.
5. Underground Exhibition Spaces: Underground galleries benefit from stable ground temperatures, reduced thermal load, and lower energy consumption for conditioning.
6. Indoor Environmental Quality: Air filtration, environmental monitoring, and zoned environmental control (archives vs. public areas) optimize indoor air quality.

1. Durable Materials: Utilize steel, granite paving, and glulam timber for extended service life. Employ thermo-acoustic metal roofing to enhance durability and minimize replacements.
2. Integrated Infrastructure: Locate mechanical systems within structural zones to reduce invasive maintenance.
3. Environmental Monitoring: Implement operational measurement systems for performance optimization and preventive maintenance.
4. Prefabrication and Modular Design: Use industrialized roof and circulation elements to simplify replacements and enable component-based repairs.
5. Low-Maintenance Landscaping: Incorporate native plants to decrease irrigation needs and reuse rainwater for irrigation and flushing, reducing infrastructure strain.