Embodied carbon tools for architects and clients early in the design process

Alterations of a building design are easier facilitated in the early stages of a building design where less strategic parameters are fixed. Tools for environmental assessments are aimed for decision-support but are often used late in the building design process because the calculations rely on detailed volumes of material uses. This paradox can be addressed by using carbon profiles of a large set of pre-specified, pre-calculated building elements together with limited, geometrical input data of the early building design. The simplified approach allows for embodied carbon modelling within minutes and at a 5-10 % margin of error compared to more detailed tools.