| Mankind is bond to its environment and interacts with it endlessness. Environmental impacts of human activities commenced to gain interest and were given consideration only recently within the global post-industrial era. Amongst various elements responsible for global warming, buildings contribute significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases.;Until now, studies on buildings' environmental footprint were focused on retrofitting construction materials, building envelope or the relationship between buildings and energy use.;The solution to reducing the environmental impacts of residential buildings is to improve their energy consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and envision a new type of stakeholders' framework integration, the "Integrated Team", and a new profile for the manager, the "Environmental Project Manager".;Climate change mitigation for residential development means the introduction in the equation of a new type of analysis: the "Built Form". The main objective is to demonstrate the choice of the built form supported by technical analysis and computer modeling. The approach allows for assessing operational solutions, environmental impacts, project implementation, life-cycle, construction development and reclamation costs, in an integrated manner. Given the volume typology of the built form, buildings preserve or lose more energy and generate various levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during their lifespan.;The thesis overviews a series of sustainable development concepts, planning and design, technologies, residential building certification, management, with the aim of shifting from traditional residential development to environmental responsible development. |
