CEDES: a taxonomic and LCA-based Green Building Rating System for sustainable building design

The Comprehensive Environmental Design and Evaluation System (CEDES) is based on a general taxonomic and conceptual framework that allows it to function both as a building sustainability assessment system and as a flexible reference structure for the development of Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) adaptable to diverse environmental and socio-economic contexts. CEDES indicators are organized into eight main categories with initial weightings: (1) resource optimization (18%); (2) reduction of energy consumption (34%); (3) use of natural and renewable energy sources (13%); (4) reduction of waste generation and emissions (12%); (5) improvement of occupants’ quality of life (8%); (6) reduction of life-cycle economic costs (10%); (7) social adequacy (3%); and (8) complementary aspects (2%).CEDES introduces several innovations to overcome limitations of existing GBRS. It is conceived for international applicability, independent of regional regulatory conditions, and can be adapted to different environmental and socio-economic contexts by adjusting indicator weightings without modifying its structure. The system constitutes a complete and non-redundant framework, ensuring that all relevant sustainability dimensions are addressed. Indicator weightings are systematically justified and validated through their interaction with other indicators and through an improved comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) covering all construction phases. Finally, beyond serving as an evaluation tool, CEDES also acts as a practical guide to support building design processes aimed at maximizing environmental performance and sustainability.