Eco Solar Transformer Architecture is an innovative smart building solution that crosses mutable forms of artistic expression with forms of technological content. This architectural concept results from the combination of Philosophy + Art + Technology, specially designed for small and medium skyscrapers, can also be applied to existing buildings retrofit. Through kinetic mechanical principles and solar energy, it creates an iconic building envelope with infinite metamorphosis. The technology consists of a mechanical computerized motion system applied to a modular grid-panels envelope. The photovoltaic grid produces active efficient energy, and its shading and natural ventilation system improve bio-climatic passive solutions, integrating aesthetic, formal and functional aspects. The modular grid-panels are designed to create decorative patterns inspired by traditional mushrabiyas and fractal geometry. The panels contain photovoltaic cells and sun-tracking sensors, providing the building with energy, and redirecting the unused energy to the local net. The panels’ motions are produced by mechanical devices, which allow following the solar geometry. In evening and night, the movements controlled by a computer allow an infinity of the envelop transformations, combined with other additional components and performances. The grid panels can also include LED units, performing light design transfigurations and working as an urban display.

This research is based on a previous critical observation, in face of an environmental problem that involves numerous quarries and debris of the marble basin in the anticlinal of Estremoz, Borba and Vila Viçosa, located in Portugal, where there is a huge waste of this raw material. Of the extracted marble stone, only 5% to 25% is used and marketed. The remaining 75% to 95% are considered waste stone rejected and dumped into the landscape around the quarries, by the industries of extraction and transformation of marble. There are numerous potentialities of using these residual stones. We remembered the passive bioclimatic solutions of shading and ventilated walls with grid facades, of the Mediterranean tradition and the musharabiyas, from Arab origin, as well as this influence on Portuguese colonial architecture and its updating in modern Brazilian architecture, with the Cobógó, as well its returns in contemporary architecture applications. From these and other cultural references, we have created several modular grids for architectural envelop facades applications, kiosks and other urban equipment that will illustrate with drawings, projects and prototypes. Among the examples, the kiosk of Vila Viçosa stands out, - built in laminated stone plates, alternately overlapped in a full / empty composition - destined for the info tourist point, also functioning as urban lantern. The combination of green grid stone facades and the use of structural masonry with residual marble cyclopic blocks is another form of hybrid architectural application, such as in the case of the building project for the Vinery of Vidigueira.

This research is based on a previous critical observation, in face of an environmental problem that involves numerous quarries and debris of the marble basin in the anticlinal of Estremoz, Borba and Vila Viçosa, located in Portugal, where there is a huge waste of this raw material. Of the extracted marble stone, only 5% to 25% is used and marketed. The remaining 75% to 95% are considered waste stone rejected and dumped into the landscape around the quarries, by the industries of extraction and transformation of marble. There are numerous potentialities of using these residual stones. We remembered the passive bioclimatic solutions of shading and ventilated walls with grid facades, of the Mediterranean tradition and the musharabiyas, from Arab origin, as well as this influence on Portuguese colonial architecture and its updating in modern Brazilian architecture, with the Cobógó, as well its returns in contemporary architecture applications. From these and other cultural references, we have created several modular grids for architectural envelop facades applications, kiosks and other urban equipment that will illustrate with drawings, projects and prototypes. Among the examples, the kiosk of Vila Viçosa stands out, - built in laminated stone plates, alternately overlapped in a full / empty composition - destined for the info tourist point, also functioning as urban lantern. The combination of green grid stone facades and the use of structural masonry with residual marble cyclopic blocks is another form of hybrid architectural application, such as in the case of the building project for the Vinery of Vidigueira.

The authors regret to inform that following errors should be corrected: – Table 7: the value in the line “Brick (exterior)” of the column “CM1” should be 99.849 instead of 219.866. – Table 8: the values in the lines “Brick (exterior)” and “Brick (interior)” of the column “Difference (MM1-MM2)” should be 0 instead of −120.037 and −21.418. – Table 11: the phrase “the percentage of emissions per material” has to be deleted in the title. – Table 12: the phrase “percentage of energy consumption per material” has to be deleted in the title. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Construction materials have distinguished energy consumptions and different emissions of carbon dioxide from fabrication up to application. The processes and the treatments needed to transform the raw materials into the final products, the transport to the construction sites and the techniques used for their application, all contribute to the differences in embodied energy and carbon footprint of these materials. In an environmental assessment one wonders what kind of constructive solution is environmentally more favorable. This study refers to the environmental comparison of reinforced concrete and clay bricks. Through a digital three-dimensional building model the required data are analyzed. The building is once considered with a reinforced concrete structure, consisting of columns, beams and slabs, with brick walls in between the columns in the periphery and interior of the building. Then, structural masonry with clay blocks in the exterior and interior walls is studied. Both models are analyzed in two versions. In the first version the slabs are of reinforced concrete and in the second version the slabs are built in pre stressed concrete beams and clay blocks. The building model represents for all solutions equal conditions. The comparison is limited to the quantification of the most important environmental parameters, the embodied energy and CO2 emissions. The results of this study show that the Masonry Model Version 1 has a 11% reduction in CO2 and 12% reduction in energy consumption, while Version 2 of both models has a 39% reduction in CO2 emissions and 41% reduction in embodied energy in case of Masonry Model and 30% reduction in CO2 emissions and 32% embodied energy in case of the Concrete Model compared to the Concrete Model with reinforced concrete slabs. These differences are due to the reduction of reinforced concrete, which is more significant in Versions 2.