Net-positive architecture: assessment of the façade integration potential of provisioning technologies to boost resource cycles in the built environment

The adoption of climate change mitigation strategies in cities is urgent, but not enough to actively revert current environmental conditions, seeking multiscale improvements from city planning to building design. This paper proposes a framework to seek positive impacts from buildings, derived from ecosystem services: regulating, provisioning, supporting and cultural. The study then focuses on provisioning services at building level, exploring prospects for the architectural integration of provisioning technologies following a two-stage approach. First, the assessment of 185 applied experiences of architectural integration of diverse provisioning technologies, identifying their operating principles and components to discuss general advantages and disadvantages. Second, the evaluation of their integration potential, identifying relevant bottlenecks following the DELPHI method, which consisted of two rounds of questionnaires directed at 15 experts in façade integration of novel technologies. Results showed a high level of agreement, outlining clear limitations and guidelines for further development of integrated building products to boost positive local resource cycles under a regenerative approach.