The best embodied-carbon-reduction strategies have two things in common: they save money, and you never know they are there.
What you don’t see is often crucial in efforts to reduce embodied carbon in projects. Materials not used. Structures not built.
Chasing an inherently invisible foe, the strategies to reduce the carbon emissions associated with projects are often unseen. And the biggest benefit is rarely discussed — most carbon-saving strategies also save money.
“There’s a direct link between reducing carbon and reducing costs, and a lot of that is hidden,” says LPA Director of Sustainability + Applied Research Ellen Mitchell.
Finding the ROI in embodied-carbon reduction requires a different type of analysis. For operational carbon, performance can be measured by several metrics, including a project’s monthly utility bills. But the value in embodied carbon reduction is often found in elements that are not easily seen or quantified.
Invariably, the process to reduce carbon emissions starts with a choice to do more with less. A smaller development uses fewer materials. Rightsizing a project and reducing its footprint lowers embodied carbon and construction costs. Any design that uses less steel and concrete is a win-win.
“If you develop a structural system that’s less carbon, it’s almost always less cost as well,” says John Hoenig, managing director of LPA’s structural engineering team in Texas. “Our cost is very much tied to emissions.”
When we can be strategic about reusing existing elements of the project and not throwing them away, that can make a huge difference. A lot of that’s just good business sense and good real estate management." – Erik Ring, LPA Director of Engineering
It’s all about choices. Examples can be found on every project. Finding the HVAC system that works for the project and requires less refrigerant (and uses a refrigerant with a lower global-warming potential). Leaving a steel column exposed instead of spending money on cladding. Reducing the need for long stretches of metal ducts. Reusing old doors, windows and lighting fixtures.
“When we can be strategic about reusing existing elements of the project and not throwing them away, that can make a huge difference,” says LPA Director of Engineering Erik Ring. “A lot of that’s just good business sense and good real estate management.”
A multidiscipline, research-driven approach addresses the choices early in the process. Hard questions are asked about details that few people will notice. Does all of the hardscape need to be concrete? Can we use fewer or smaller heating and cooling ducts? Is low-carbon concrete available in the market?
Finding the hidden benefits requires architects, engineers and interior designers sitting at the table from the start. Choices may not be visible to the naked eye, yet they will play a significant role in a project’s carbon footprint. The value is in the details, often unseen and unnoticed, that reduce environmental harm and save money.
An Efficient Workplace
Innovation Office Park
Irvine, California
Finishes are only used where needed. The ceiling and columns are left exposed, reducing the need for materials. The centralized mechanical system reduces the need for long duct runs.
The flexible space can be easily reconfigured for future uses, extending the life of the materials.
A Decarbonization Guidebook
Leaders from across LPA recently came together to develop a resource guide for decarbonizing projects. Embracing the firm’s “every project, every scale, every budget” approach, the “Decarbonization by Discipline Series” is designed to help teams develop best practices for eliminating embodied carbon from all projects.
Authored by each discipline, the guide is intended as a “cheat sheet,” with information that is distilled, simplified and easily digestible by teams and clients.
“This is intended to be the first step in this journey, helping to educate all design disciplines with steps they can immediately incorporate into their work,” says LPA Director of Sustainability + Applied Research Ellen Mitchell.
Natural Outdoor Learning
Oliphant Elementary
Desert Sands, California
Concrete is necessary for almost all projects, but, at every stage, the design team took a thoughtful approach to reducing its use. Decomposed granite paving defines breakout spaces. Seat walls were replaced with boulders. Walkways were limited to minimum widths, helping to create a functional, low-impact environment.
Finding Savings in Structure
East Central ISD
San Antonio, Texas
Reducing embodied carbon was not a top priority for an upcoming high school. But structural engineers worked with designers to explore options. Initial plans called for a floor system of 3.25 inches of lightweight concrete over a metal deck supported by wide flange beams. But the analysis found that a thicker floor system of 4.5 inches of normal weight concrete over a 3-inch composite metal deck supported by composite steel joists saved money and reduced the project’s embodied-carbon footprint by 230,000 kg of CO2e. As an added bonus, the increased mass improved the building’s vibration performance, which reduced the steel required for the structure.
