Integrating Embodied Impacts and Costs during Early Design Phase of Buildings: A Case Study: Fid-Bau Portal

Integrating Embodied Impacts and Costs during Early Design Phase of Buildings: A Case Study

Zeng, Ruochen / Chini, Abdol

The production of building materials has brought in severe environmental issues such as pollution and global warming due to the large amount of energy consumed and the massive carbon dioxide (CO₂) released in the atmosphere. With further green building development, the savings on embodied energy and embodied emissions of buildings are becoming more important. Selection of building systems and materials takes place during the early design phase and significantly influences the embodied impacts of a building. Therefore, embodied impacts of materials and systems during the design phase of a building should be a major consideration. The aim of this paper is to introduce a conceptual model for integrating embodied energy and emissions of the alternative structural and envelope systems of a building during the design phase. The model calculates embodied energy and emissions, as well as, costs of alternative structural and envelope systems to assist designers making an informed decision in selecting these systems. An educational building is used as a case study to demonstrate application of the model. The case study demonstrated that the model can provide embodied energy, embodied emissions, and cost of alternative structural and envelope systems to allow designers make informed decisions at the early design phase.