Buildings are increasingly evaluated through the lens of embodied carbon, but the numbers used to compare materials and assemblies can imply a level of certainty that does not always reflect the complexity of real buildings. This session explores how architects and engineers can use carbon information more thoughtfully, looking at what environmental product declarations and life-cycle assessments can tell us, where their limitations lie, and why service life, durability, replacement cycles, and long-term performance matter.
Using masonry as a practical case study, the session will examine opportunities to reduce embodied carbon through material selection, efficient design, and improved construction practices, while also considering broader decisions such as enclosure durability, glazing ratios, thermal performance, and adaptability. The focus is on practical decisions designers can make today to create buildings that use resources efficiently, perform well over time, and reduce their climate impact across a long service life.
Learning Objectives:
- At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the role of embodied carbon and life-cycle assessment in evaluating the climate impacts of buildings, including the purpose and limitations of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
- Identify practical and simple opportunities to reduce embodied carbon through material selection and efficient masonry design.
- Compare how durability, service life, replacement cycles, and operational performance influence the whole-life carbon impacts of building design decisions.
- Apply design, detailing, and construction strategies that support adaptable, resilient buildings with longer service lives.