Green Building: Cutting carbon-embodied emissions

Fiona Short. Photo / Supplied

Warren and Mahoney has launched a three-year PhD study to produce a framework for reducing carbon emissions in the design of buildings.

The thesis is titled: Starting a new paragraph in designing low carbon architecture in New Zealand.

Fiona Short, associate principal with Warren and Mahoney, said "if we are to reach our climate change targets in New Zealand and internationally, we need to understand the full picture of embodied carbon in buildings (emissions associated with building materials such as steel, concrete and carpet).

"At present the industry focus is on operational carbon use, but as our buildings become more energy efficient the carbon emitted to create the materials becomes more important."

The research project looks at how to measure, design and value buildings to meet emission reduction targets well ahead of the 2030 deadline.

Warren and Mahoney's goal is for all new projects to be net zero operational emissions by 2030 and have 40 per cent less embodied carbon.

Short said project information and data will be used to calculate the whole-of-life carbon emissions of the building, with an emphasis on embodied emissions.

"We have vast amounts of data, but we haven't mined it in that way. We need to understand better the life cycle impact of different design decisions.

"For example, steel and concrete is predominantly used in structures. We want to recognise where we don't need the properties of steel and concrete, and quantify the benefits of hybrid timber strategies to lower the carbon content.

"Where we can, we want to opt for more natural products such as timber, bricks and terracotta for a lower carbon outcome."

Short said clients have been requesting more data and evidence where they are offering options to lower carbon emissions. "We need to set clear goals and be able to measure the design impact on reducing carbon emissions."

Government agencies and businesses which own and operate building portfolios are increasingly required to report on their carbon emissions.

The ability to measure the embodied carbon during design will allow designers to reduce the carbon content and calculate the carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality.

Short said in the longer term, "we hope the research will allow the industry to design viable carbon neutral or even carbon negative buildings which trap more carbon than they use."

The research is being completed by Victoria University PhD candidate Emily Newmarch, with funding from Callaghan Innovation and Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ).