Open AccessA web-based tool for streamlining environmental decision-making in building design
Author(s) -
Robert H. Crawford,
Victor Bunster
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/588/2/022075
Subject(s) - building envelope , building information modeling , embodied energy , greenhouse gas , life cycle assessment , architectural engineering , product life cycle management , computer science , interface (matter) , sustainable design , building design , systems engineering , production (economics) , sustainability , engineering , operations management , mechanical engineering , thermal , macroeconomics , ecology , maximum bubble pressure method , biology , bubble , parallel computing , thermodynamics , physics , meteorology , scheduling (production processes) , economics
The construction industry is an important driver for economic growth, but it is also a major contributor to global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. A plethora of sustainable design tools and rating schemes have been developed in an attempt to improve the environmental performance of buildings. Regardless of their increasing adoption by the construction industry, much of the existing focus is on improving the operational performance of buildings. However, a more holistic life cycle approach that also considers material production is critical. Despite this, limited information and tools are available that consider the full life cycle at the point where decisions can have the greatest impact – at the early stages of design. This paper presents a web-based tool to assist environmental decision-making by providing information on the life cycle energy loadings of building envelope assemblies at the early stages of design. Real-time embodied energy calculations are combined with cloud-based building energy simulation within a graphical user interface that enables exploration of different alternatives through interactive visualisations. This paper describes the tool, an output of over 10 years of research, and how it can be used to inform building envelope assembly selection to reduce life cycle energy.