AIA 2030 Commitment By the Numbers: Embodied Carbon

[{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Improve the embodied carbon of buildings"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"It\u2019s clear that we need to reduce the amount of carbon our buildings emit over time through energy use\u2014their operational carbon. But improving embodied carbon\u2014the emissions associated with building materials \u2014is perhaps even more urgent."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"That\u2019s because most of those emissions happen before the lights even go on, meaning we\u2019re releasing massive quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere just by constructing a new building. Production of concrete and steel alone accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"With growing awareness about embodied carbon, the DDx was expanded in 2020 to allow users to track it. A total of 924, or 4.47%, of projects included embodied carbon data in 2021, more than triple the number of projects reporting embodied carbon data in 2020. Embodied carbon data was reported by 83 firms in 2021, an increase of 50.9% from 2020, and represented more than 250 million gross square feet."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"How can we reduce embodied carbon? The best answer is to reuse existing buildings and materials. When new construction is unavoidable, teams can use whole-building life-cycle assessment. This type of modeling allows for the comparison of different materials and systems in order to optimize for performance and carbon."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Although your embodied carbon results don\u2019t contribute to pEUI reduction targets, AIA encourages tracking them as part of your climate action goals. By measuring and tracking embodied carbon, you can contribute to profession-wide embodied carbon literacy and accountability. "]]]]},"title":"Embodied Carbon"},{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Stop building: WRNS Studio"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Embodied carbon isn\u2019t the first thing clients talk about, said Pauline Souza, FAIA, partner at WRNS Studio\u2014and that\u2019s why architects should be bringing it up. WRNS has started using the Tally whole-building life cycle assessment tool to model embodied carbon on all types of projects, whether clients ask for it or not."]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWe have this new, better understanding that right now matters more than 50 years from now,\u201d Souza said. \u201cRemember when 2050 and 2030 were way out there? Now they\u2019re a few blocks away.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The firm has taken a \u201cswat team\u201d approach to proliferating the practice, with a few people learning Tally and then teaching it to a few more people and so on. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"By integrating lifecycle assessment into their process, Souza said, the firm has learned that building reuse is by far the best way to reduce upfront emissions."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"At the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus, the firm reused 240,000 square feet of space and added 400,000. The new construction was done with a hybrid of mass timber and steel. \u201cWe thought the mass timber was going to be a huge number,\u201d Souza said, in part because of carbon storage and in part because it served as both structure and finish. But that made a minimal difference compared with saving an existing lab space."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cHow do we stop building?\u201d asks Souza. \u201cWhat do we need to know in order to move our clients toward buildings that exist?\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the meantime, using whole-building life cycle assessment is key to learning more about embodied carbon impacts and where they come from, Souza argued. \u201cEvery project has materials, so every project can track its embodied carbon.\u201d"]]]]},"title":"Case Study"},{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/blueprintforbetter.org\/articles\/architectures-carbon-problem\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6445061-aia-clf-embodied-carbon-toolkit-for-archit","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/pages\/6502700-roi-designing-for-reduced-embodied-carbon","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/aiau.aia.org\/embodied-carbon-101","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","new-line"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/showcases\/6082636-design-for-resources","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6175328-renovate-retrofit-reuse","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[3,"ul",[[[0,[],0,"For a primer on how embodied carbon fits into the total carbon picture, read AIA\u2019s Blueprint for Better article on "],[0,[0],1,"Architecture\u2019s Carbon Problem"],[0,[],0,". "]],[[0,[1],1,"AIA-CLF\u0027s Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Architects"],[0,[],0," provides a 360 view into embodied carbon in the built environment, why it matters, and strategies to reduce it. "]],[[0,[],0,"Could you use talking points with clients for the return on investment for embodied carbon? Check out AIA\u2019s "],[0,[2],1,"ROI: Designing for reduced embodied carbon"],[0,[],0," for pointers on design, material selection, renovation, and future proofing. Take your knowledge of embodied carbon to the next level with AIA\u2019s 12 course "],[0,[3],1,"Embodied Carbon 101"],[0,[],0," series that dives into nuances ranging from envelope and structure to carbon accounting and certifications."],[0,[4],1,"\u200b"]],[[0,[],0,"Explore high impact strategies, resources, and case studies in the Framework for Design Excellence\u2019s "],[0,[5],1,"Design for Resources"],[0,[],0," principle, which includes embodied carbon and other complementary material considerations. "]],[[0,[],0,"Read "],[0,[6],1,"AIA Renovate, Retrofit, and Reuse"],[0,[],0," to learn about six guiding principles that can be applied to any existing building project to unlock the many benefits of leveraging our current building stock, embodied carbon included. "]]]]]},"title":"Resources"}]