scale”) addressed the potential of BIM to reduce efforts during the data acquisition
phase in order to facilitate the challenging task of extending LCA studies from
single buildings to complex systems as districts, urban facilities and territories. To
date, LCA data requirements have not been fully integrated into the CityGML
format nor its Application Domain Extensions (ADE). The presenter proposed an
extension of CityGML and Energy-ADE standards for exchanging information for
LCA simulation at urban scale. The scope of the study was limited to the integration
of information necessary for LCA of buildings’ construction and renovation.
2.2 Nature-Based Solutions
When looking at the whole scale from building to city, the application of an LCA
perspective can help disclosing the real benefits of NBS for the renaturing and
sustainability of urban systems. The study entitled “Dynamic Assessment of
Nature Based Solutions through Urban Level LCA”) and presented by Özge
Yılmaz anticipated the basis to obtain a comprehensive environmental assessment
of NBS to address urban challenges. The H2020 project Nature4Cities [11] was
introduced and its overarching approach for modelling urban ecosystems, which in
one work package integrates LCA and urban metabolism (UM), was described.
Performing a dynamic assessment with time series data was suggested as a way to
promote the identification of hotspots within a determined time frame, allowing the
assessor to categorise and mitigate extremes and make informed decisions on
desired temporal patterns. In the authors’ view, data needs for the dynamic
assessment is supported by two simulation methodologies: BIM for the built
environment and Agent Based Modelling (ABM) for social behavioural patterns.
Finally, the last session’s presentation complemented the previous ones by
exploring whether or not different spatial distributions of possible NBS implementations in the city (as a function of the topological structure of the urban system
itself) can make a difference in terms of quantification of the desired beneficial
effect (such as carbon uptake). This was the topic of Marlène D.F. Boura
(“How does the spatial distribution of green within cities impact carbon flows?
A European scale analysis”).
3 Issues Discussed and Future Perspectives Identified
The case study discussed by Alexander Borg has shown how the use of an external
tool, like Excel, as an intermediate step for inventory modelling is very time
consuming and not optimal to ensure a convenient use of a BIM-LCA model. There
is potential for automation of this process, but it is important to first being able to
ensure the reliability and transparency of the data used in an automatic data transfer
264
A. Marvuglia et al.
phase in order to facilitate the challenging task of extending LCA studies from
single buildings to complex systems as districts, urban facilities and territories. To
date, LCA data requirements have not been fully integrated into the CityGML
format nor its Application Domain Extensions (ADE). The presenter proposed an
extension of CityGML and Energy-ADE standards for exchanging information for
LCA simulation at urban scale. The scope of the study was limited to the integration
of information necessary for LCA of buildings’ construction and renovation.
2.2 Nature-Based Solutions
When looking at the whole scale from building to city, the application of an LCA
perspective can help disclosing the real benefits of NBS for the renaturing and
sustainability of urban systems. The study entitled “Dynamic Assessment of
Nature Based Solutions through Urban Level LCA”) and presented by Özge
Yılmaz anticipated the basis to obtain a comprehensive environmental assessment
of NBS to address urban challenges. The H2020 project Nature4Cities [11] was
introduced and its overarching approach for modelling urban ecosystems, which in
one work package integrates LCA and urban metabolism (UM), was described.
Performing a dynamic assessment with time series data was suggested as a way to
promote the identification of hotspots within a determined time frame, allowing the
assessor to categorise and mitigate extremes and make informed decisions on
desired temporal patterns. In the authors’ view, data needs for the dynamic
assessment is supported by two simulation methodologies: BIM for the built
environment and Agent Based Modelling (ABM) for social behavioural patterns.
Finally, the last session’s presentation complemented the previous ones by
exploring whether or not different spatial distributions of possible NBS implementations in the city (as a function of the topological structure of the urban system
itself) can make a difference in terms of quantification of the desired beneficial
effect (such as carbon uptake). This was the topic of Marlène D.F. Boura
(“How does the spatial distribution of green within cities impact carbon flows?
A European scale analysis”).
3 Issues Discussed and Future Perspectives Identified
The case study discussed by Alexander Borg has shown how the use of an external
tool, like Excel, as an intermediate step for inventory modelling is very time
consuming and not optimal to ensure a convenient use of a BIM-LCA model. There
is potential for automation of this process, but it is important to first being able to
ensure the reliability and transparency of the data used in an automatic data transfer
264
A. Marvuglia et al.