According to Architecture 2030, “embodied Carbon will be responsible for almost half of total new construction emissions between now and 2050.” During the previous two decades, sustainable certification programs have focused on sustainability initiatives that analyze and reduce operational energy of new buildings. In more recent years, we have come to understand that we are missing half of the puzzle in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: that of embodied carbon.
Embodied carbon is the carbon footprint of a material from its extraction through its lifespan. We have learned the significance of embodied carbon on our environment, such as increased respiratory illnesses, aquatic ecosystem damage, and forest decline, and the critical role the Architecture/Engineering/Construction community plays in reducing energy use and the large-scale environmental impacts of carbon.
As part of CHA’s Innovation Lab, an in-house research grant program, we explored lifecycle assessment (LCA) tools and documented the impact of embodied carbon from a sampling of our completed projects by examining building assemblies and specifications. Using a software called TALLY, a lifecycle assessment tool developed by Kieran Timberlake, we assessed carbon impacts and looked at how this tool can be used within CHA’s project workflow. We compared typical material assemblies to study and analyze the scale of impact our buildings have on the environment. Through this process, we were able to synthesize design opportunities and best practices to better inform project material selection. A tutorial of the TALLY plug-in was also developed to make the tool more accessible for the office.
During our research, we also identified various strategies to reduce the embodied carbon impact during project design phases, which include the following.
Coordination items with consultants – how to optimize the structural system.
Selection of materials with low-carbon properties - such as mineral wool, blown-in insulation, and wood.
Determining what product certifications to look for when selecting materials.
Architects play a significant role in shaping the environment through our choices. The decisions we make daily have larger affects beyond the building itself. Embodied carbon is currently seen through secondary impacts that are changing our urban and rural environments. As architects and designers, we must be intentional in our selection of low-carbon products and be aware of the carbon footprint of individual materials we specify. In doing so, we can mitigate and reduce embodied carbon emissions and lower the overall carbon footprint of each building.
Kayla Zander, Project Designer & Julia Mollner, Project Architect