Sustainability of Natural Stone Façades
A Comparative Study

Source

The source of the sustainability study on natural stone versus glass façades is a collaboration between Drees Sommer AG and PE International.

The study was conducted in accordance with the standards of the German Sustainable Building Council (DNGB).

Overview

Natural stone is recognized for its durability and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for contemporary architecture. This study compares the ecological and economic advantages of natural stone façades against glass façades.

Key Findings

Ecological and Economic Advantages: Natural stone façades have significant ecological and economic benefits over glass façades. They are essential for sustainable building construction aiming for DGNB or LEED certification​​

Table 1: The primary energy requirements over the entire lice cycle of natural stone and glass façades in [MH/m 2 ].

Table 2: The examined types of glass façades (GF) are between 60% and 175% above those of natural stone façades (executed NSF).