Portal Virtuhab

The Virtuhab Research Group is dedicated to sustainability research applied to projects.

The group develops a series of research activities, with the support of teaching and extension activities, linked to undergraduate and postgraduate courses, for the development of applied technologies, methods and evaluation of sustainability in products, services or  business affairs.

Sustainability has three dimensions to consider: Economic, Social and Environmental, as defined by Elkington (1998). Thus, it is necessary to seek the satisfaction of the interests of all the actors involved in the processes, be they the investors, the local community or the collaborators. Everyone should have their return on quality of life and social equity, and all this, should not harm (or at least impacts should be minimized) the environment, which everyone needs to survive. (ELKINGTON, 1998; PAULI, 1996; DONAIRE,1995).

For the sustainability management are of interest activities that involve the planning, organization, control and improvement of existing systems and that reach the built environment, whether in the design or execution of buildings. Sustainability management is also related to the mitigation of impacts resulting from its absence, such as actions directed to the management of risks and natural disasters.

In principle, the unfolding of the group’s activities contemplates the following researches:

– Adaptation and application of the ESA model (Librelotto, 2005) to evaluate sustainability in the region of Florianópolis-SC;

– Research and development of technologies, constructie systems and typologies for social housing (in resettlements in the emergency context and for the definitive constructions);

– Sustainability evaluation for life cycle analysis (LCA) of materials for database creation;

– Evaluation of sustainability in buildings and constructive systems;

– Critical analysis of the design and construction of buildings for greater durability (flexibility, functionality, recycling, reuse);

– Design process and its technological interface (teaching and information technology);

– Improvement of productive processes through the application of the Lean philosophy;

– Use of alternative and / or innovative materials (earth, bamboo, wood);

– Analysis of the productive chain of innovative constructive systems;

– Analysis of certification systems that are applicable in buildings;

– Construction of the Portal Virtuhab;

– Edition of journal: Mix Sustentável;

– Dissemination of knowledge through the event: ENSUS – Encontro de Sustentabilidade em Projeto;

In addition, this project can be translated into teaching, research and extension activities, involving undergraduate and graduate students. These ongoing activities have external financing: FAPESC, CONFEA, CAPES, among others.