At Glotman Simpson, we are continually enhancing our capabilities as sustainable designers. We’re always aiming to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and in line with this commitment, we’re thrilled to announce that we now conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in-house using a custom tool built specifically for structural engineering.
Developing the Tool
Why build our own tool when great software like One Click, Tally, and Athena exist? The answer comes down to three key elements:
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Engineering
Speed
Some might say speed is a bad thing–sometimes it can lead to inaccuracy–but that’s not the case here. We know our buildings well and have templates ready to go. This means we can track a project in four clicks: one in Revit, three in the tool! Using the tool in its simplest form breaks down barriers and encourages our engineers to run their own LCAs and actively participate in sustainability discussions.
Accuracy
Can speed and accuracy come together? We think we have struck a good balance. Yes, we can run an LCA using default values to get a quick answer, but we can also refine and adjust inputs down to the smallest Revit elements to as much precision as needed. And we’re not just limited to industry baseline EPDs either – we can also run custom LCAs based on as-built data or product-specific EPDs, depending on the project’s goals.
Engineering
This is the key driver behind our choice to move toward a custom tool. What is the purpose of running an LCA? Is it just to get total carbon output? Well, yes–at its simplest form. But, where does the value lie? That’s the most important question.
The value lies in gaining feedback on the efficiency of our designs.
The building structure typically account for the majority of its embodied carbon. With today’s low-carbon grids and energy-efficient buildings, the structure embodied carbon is quickly becoming the next carbon source to tackle.
That’s why we’ve invested significant effort into developing a summary output that shows the distribution of carbon across detailed structural elements. This gives us a snapshot view–at a glance, we can identify where efficiencies or inefficiencies exist. We can then use both the distribution and the total carbon intensity value to guide design decisions and drive meaningful reductions in embodied carbon.
How we intend to use the data:
Beyond project-specific optimizations and development, we want to study our designs and learn from the outputs. That’s why we plan to run an LCA for every project issued for construction in 2025 and beyond.
The tool exports a wide range of metadata, and we’re fortunate to be involved in a large number of projects. This gives us a unique opportunity to build a comprehensive data set for research and innovation, In turn, this information will guide our design principles to align with our SE2050 and Responsible Buildings Pact goals of heading to net zero embodied carbon in our buildings by 2050.
It’s also important to emphasize that a sustainable building is often a cost-effective building if designed correctly. The best opportunity for impact comes in Schematic Design, where targeting volume efficiency leads to both carbon and cost savings. We can then provide tailored product specifications at the Tender and Construction stages that won’t affect schedule or cost.
This tool helps by creating a product carbon budget for the respective materials. We can use this to ensure compliance with project goals without backing materials suppliers into a corner on specific elements.
We are looking forward to seeing what insights we can gain to help improve the sustainability of our buildings. We all have a responsibility to be part of the solution to climate change and enjoy the challenge of being involved in reducing carbon emissions associated with our buildings.
Written by Rory Roberts
Together, we can contribute to a more sustainable built environment. If you are interested in sustainability and would like to discuss any of the topics in this article, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
For more information on our sustainability initiatives and to stay updated on our latest projects, visit our website and follow our “OnTrack” blog series.