Redefining Livestock Architecture: Advancing Timber-Based Construction Systems Through Sustainable Design Strategies

Although livestock buildings constitute a widespread and structurally significant component of the rural landscape, they are, in most cases, characterised by construction configurations primarily driven by production requirements. Such an approach rarely results from a conscious design process capable of integrating architectural criteria with the environmental context in which these structures are embedded. Within this framework, the prevailing construction model—based on prefabricated steel systems and sandwich panels—prioritises rapid execution, standardisation, and cost efficiency, while relegating aspects such as environmental quality, material circularity, and landscape integration to a marginal role. Against this background, the present study investigates the possibility of redefining this paradigm through a technological substitution grounded in the principles of bio-based construction, technological design, and circular economy. To this end, a timber-based architectural solution for poultry houses is developed and adopted as an experimental case study to assess environmental and economic performance through an integrated methodology combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Construction Cost Analysis. The evaluation is conducted comparatively against a conventional steel-based system, maintaining consistent geometric and functional parameters, within the climatic context of the Italian Mediterranean and in accordance with EN 15978 and EN 15804+A2 standards, over a 30-year reference period. The results indicate a significant reduction in environmental impacts for the timber-based solution, with a decrease in Global Warming Potential of approximately 29%, reaching values close to 50% when accounting for biogenic carbon storage. From an economic perspective, the alternative solution entails an increase in initial costs of approximately 20%, primarily associated with the adoption of a high-performance building envelope. Overall, the study demonstrates how architectural technological design, when supported by quantitative assessment tools, can operate as an effective driver for the ecological transition of rural productive landscapes.