This study determined the Ecological Footprint of the Social Sciences Building of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Main Campus’ using the Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA). Specifically it aimed to assess assess the sustainability implications of the building's ecological footprint. Five impact categories were considered in the determination of the ecological footprint of the Social Sciences Building. The information for the five impact categories were entered into a computer spreadsheet which is then assigned a land value to each of the components, and summed to come up with the overall Ecological Footprint of the Social Sciences Building of Xavier University Main Campus.
The various components of Social Sciences’ ecological footprint reflect the role of the occupants of the building as major consumer of natural resources responsible for a wide range of ecological impacts. The components of the Ecological Footprint of the building listed in the table below require an area of land equivalent to 552 hectares or 717 soccer fields to sustain campus demands--including a campus and a half for the effects of water use, material use, food, travel, waste and recycling and electricity demand. Applying the approach to sustainability, Social Sciences’ Building footprint is strongly sustainable.
From a strong approach to sustainability, it should be reiterated that the findings in this research only included a portion of the building's total ecological footprint. It is likely that, with the addition of other factors such as food, material use and so on for all students in the building and accounting for all wastes, the Building'sfootprint could not even be considered sustainable from a strong perspective. From a strong or ideal approach to sustainability there are plenty of opportunities for the building to move toward sustainability.
Sustainability, Ecological Footprint Analysis
