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If a building only lasts 10-15 years, can we consider it to be sustainable?

People seem to consider heating/cooling efficiency to be the main determining factor of sustainability - an they are very important. But shouldn't the lifespan of a building matter, too? Doesn't matter how efficient a building is, if it's got to be replaced in 15-20 years, is it really that sustainable? Takes a lot of energy to replace a building every 20 years!  (Whereas older buildings seem to be able to last a lot longer for some reason.)

How long should the lifespan of our buildings be? What should we be aiming for?

Tags: lifespan, material, science, sustainability, sustainable

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