COLOURS FOR A SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN ARCHITECTURE: MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGIES, PRODUCTS

When we should consider the colour of a building a sustainable feature? In the contemporary architecture old and new materials, technologies and products are complying to the new rules of sustainability by providing the architectural project the means to adapt to the new challenges of contemporary innovation. Of course colour seems to play a strategic role in this scenario adapting to the choices of the different points of view, sometimes ideological, of contemporary architecture. The paper wants to sum up the results of a recent research conducted among the “Eterotopie” Research Group by the author with the precious contribution of V. Brustolon, A. Dehò, C. Gregoris, A. Martini, P. Zennaro and K. Gasparini. The researchers, dealing with various specialism, studied the use of colour of 12 families of materials, technologies and products with the aim to assess their real impact on the environment and the possible solutions based on a scientific and rational approach. The colours of architectural materials, technologies and products can change over time by aging and the surrounding environment is very important for choosing the colour of a building. For this reason, a specific methodology of research aimed to analyze the entire life cycle of the colours of the architectural materials and products (LCA) has been chosen. The paper summarizes these specific contributions with the aim of providing a descriptive overview of the state of the art and the possible future evolutions.