By Cesar Escalante, AIA, 2025 Chair Technology in Practice Knowledge Community
Introduction
The imperative to achieve a carbon-neutral built environment has become increasingly urgent in recent years. As the primary creators of our physical spaces, architects hold a unique and pivotal role in mitigating the environmental impact of buildings. By integrating carbon analysis into the early stages of the design process, the profession can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their projects and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Embodied and Operational Carbon: A Primer
Carbon emissions associated with buildings can be broadly categorized into two primary types: embodied carbon and operational carbon. Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gasses emitted during the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and construction of building materials. Operational carbon, on the other hand, is generated during the building's operational phase, primarily through energy consumption for heating, cooling, lighting, and other functions.
Both embodied and operational carbon contribute significantly to the overall carbon footprint of a building. However, early-stage design decisions, such as the selection of materials and building form, have a profound impact on embodied carbon. By carefully considering these factors, architects can minimize the environmental impact of their projects from the outset.
Image 1: The journey towards net zero carbon building requires a sequential approach where the largest impact takes place with decision made in early stage design. (Courtesy of STANTEC)
The Role of Architects in Carbon Reduction
Architects can play a pivotal role in reducing the carbon footprint of buildings by:
- Conducting Early-Stage Carbon Assessments: Using carbon assessment tools and methodologies, architects can estimate the potential carbon emissions of a building at an early stage of design. This information can be used to identify areas for improvement and inform subsequent design decisions.
Image 2: Forma’s Carbon Analysis considers building type, cladding systems and to structural framing options to estimate the impact of carbon emissions.(Courtesy of Autodesk)
- Optimizing Design for Carbon Reduction: Once the initial carbon assessment is complete, architects can explore various design strategies to minimize the building's carbon footprint. This may involve optimizing the building's form, selecting low-carbon materials, and incorporating passive design strategies to reduce energy consumption.
Comprehensive Carbon Assessment: As the design progresses, architects can conduct more detailed carbon assessments to refine their analysis and identify additional opportunities for improvement. This may include creating energy models to simulate the building's performance and analyzing different design scenarios to optimize carbon performance.
The Role of New Technology: Forma and Insight
The rise of new integrations (OneClick LCA, TallyCAT, and Autodesk Forma) with mainstream authoring software (Revit, Rhino, ArchiCAD, Sketchup) allow architects to integrate carbon analysis early in the design process. These tools offer powerful capabilities for:
- Data Analysis and Visualization: these systems can process and analyze large datasets related to building materials, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. This enables architects to gain valuable insights into the environmental impact of different design options.
Image 3: Insight for Revit allows integration of industry standards into custom dashboard, factors and metrics (Courtesy of Autodesk).
- Carbon Footprint Modeling: These tools can be used to create accurate models of a building's carbon footprint, allowing architects to assess the impact of various design decisions on emissions.
- Optimization and Decision-Making: By analyzing data and modeling carbon emissions, architects can use Forma and Insight to optimize their designs and make informed decisions that minimize environmental impact.
The challenge of climate change demands that we rethink the way we design and construct buildings. By incorporating carbon analysis into the early stages of the design process, architects can play a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of the built environment. With the support of these new carbon solutions, architects can reduce total carbon emissions through end-to-end integrated design and analysis and create buildings that are both sustainable and resilient. As we strive for a carbon-neutral future, the role of architects in shaping a more sustainable built environment has never been more important.
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Cesar Escalante, AIA, LEED AP, CM-BIM, Sr Technical Marketing Manager - Autodesk. As Autodesk's architecture innovation evangelist, Cesar leverages his two-decade career at industry leaders like Gensler, HOK, and Flad Architects to champion cutting-edge technologies. A deep passion for computational design and digital prototyping complements his expertise in delivering multi-billion-dollar projects. A recognized thought leader, Cesar shares his knowledge through speaking engagements and education while actively shaping the industry through leadership roles in the American Institute of Architects.
(Return to the cover of the November 2024 PM Digest)