Kaleidoscope: Embodied Carbon In Design

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Kaleidoscope, a publicly\naccessible web-based tool, arose from a common question among teams: How do\nfacade choices impact a building\u2019s embodied carbon? Begun initially as an\ninternal research project in 2019, Kaleidoscope was released broadly in 2021,\nallowing architects to better integrate embodied carbon information early in\ntheir designs when critical decisions about materiality are being made. As\nArchitecture 2030 declares, embodied carbon in buildings contributes roughly\n11% of global carbon emissions from new construction, making Kaleidoscope a\ncritical tool in shaping a healthier and more resilient built environment. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cMaking data accessible and\nmaking it applicable early in the design process will allow architects to\narrive at decisions much more quickly,\u201d noted the jury. \u201cThe team restructured\ncomplex processes to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons, and, by making it\npublicly accessible, the tool elevates the entire profession.\u201d"]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u0022Making data accessible and\nmaking it applicable early in the design process will allow architects to\narrive at decisions much more quickly.\u0022 \u2013\u00a0Jury Comment "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The team found that traditional\nlife cycle assessment tools were time-consuming and required detailed\nassemblies information that may not be available early in the design process. Kaleidoscope\noffers a direct comparison of differing materials assemblies, providing a\nbetter understanding of how the embodied carbon on such assemblies would\nperform. While not intended to replace life cycle assessment tools,\nKaleidoscope complements them by supporting design teams at the onset of their\nlife cycle thinking."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"By including embodied\ncarbon information in a holistic manner, the team has found it can improve a\nproject\u2019s environmental performance and cost-effectiveness. For example, on one\nrecent project, the team explored a timber curtain wall, which has lower\nembodied carbon but is often more expensive than a traditional aluminum system.\nHowever, the timber curtain wall has a significantly lower U-value, eliminating\nthe need for perimeter heating. Deeper mullions also eliminated the need for\ninterior blinds, further reducing both embodied and operational carbon for the\npublicly bid project and positioning the timber curtain wall as the more\ncost-effective option. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u0022The team restructured\ncomplex processes to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons, and, by making it\npublicly accessible, the tool elevates the entire profession.\u0022 \u2013\u00a0Jury Comment "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A facade\u2019s thermal\nperformance can also affect the operational energy and carbon of a building, so\nthe team ensured that all assemblies available in Kaleidoscope had the same\nthermal performance. To do so, the team employed parametric THERM models to\naccount for the thermal bridging and differing thermal performance of the\nassemblies. For the interior material assemblies, the first of which is\nflooring, the team did not want to select materials with a low embodied carbon\nimpact that could be hazardous to human health. To avoid that outcome, the team\nimplemented a color-coded lens that allows users to see which materials adhere\nto the firm\u2019s material health policy, which ones would require specification to\ndo so, which ones adhere to one aspect of the policy, and which ones do not\nmeet it at all. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Recognizing that not all\nfirms have the resources or skills to engage in complex research projects or\nextensive life cycle assessment analysis, the team opted to make Kaleidoscope a\nfree tool. Since its launch, Kaleidoscope has received an average of 300\nmonthly webpage hits, with a typical user engaging with the tool for approximately\nfive minutes. It has been included on several lists of embodied carbon\nresources and has influenced local public policy, including in Newton,\nMassachusetts, which cited Kaleidoscope as the reason facades are included in\nits special permit requirements for embodied carbon reductions. "]]]]}