Design-Integrated LCA Using Early
BIM
Alexander Hollberg, Julia Tschetwertak, Sven Schneider
and Guillaume Habert
Abstract Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly used for buildings, however, mostly for post-design evaluation of the environmental impact. To use the
results for optimization, LCA has to be integrated in the early design stages. While
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is more and more applied in detailed design
stages, simple 3D models are typically used to compare design variants in early
stages. The objective of this paper is to introduce a simplified, design-integrated
method based on these early BIM models with limited information. The early
BIM-LCA method uses simple 3D geometry and a parametric LCA model.
Methodological simplifications are introduced and a single indicator based on the
certification system of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is used to
provide an intuitive real-time feedback for the designer. The method is applied to
the conceptional design of a residential neighbourhood. The results highlight the
great potential of using simplified LCA to quantify environmental performance for
decision-making in early design stages.
1 Introduction
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly gaining importance for environmental
evaluation of buildings, mostly in the form of building certification labels. The
application of LCA at a late stage of the planning process for post-design evaluation
of the environmental impact is not sufficient on its own if the results are not used to
improve the design [1]. The highest optimization potential lies within the early
design stages where the decisions made have the biggest influence on energy
A. Hollberg (&) Á G. Habert
Chair of Sustainable Construction, IBI, ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5,
8093 Zurich, Switzerland
e-mail: hollberg@ibi.baug.ethz.ch
A. Hollberg Á J. Tschetwertak Á S. Schneider
Bauhaus University Weimar, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 8,
99423 Weimar, Germany
© The Author(s) 2018
E. Benetto et al. (eds.), Designing Sustainable Technologies,
Products and Policies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66981-6_30
269
BIM
Alexander Hollberg, Julia Tschetwertak, Sven Schneider
and Guillaume Habert
Abstract Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly used for buildings, however, mostly for post-design evaluation of the environmental impact. To use the
results for optimization, LCA has to be integrated in the early design stages. While
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is more and more applied in detailed design
stages, simple 3D models are typically used to compare design variants in early
stages. The objective of this paper is to introduce a simplified, design-integrated
method based on these early BIM models with limited information. The early
BIM-LCA method uses simple 3D geometry and a parametric LCA model.
Methodological simplifications are introduced and a single indicator based on the
certification system of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is used to
provide an intuitive real-time feedback for the designer. The method is applied to
the conceptional design of a residential neighbourhood. The results highlight the
great potential of using simplified LCA to quantify environmental performance for
decision-making in early design stages.
1 Introduction
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly gaining importance for environmental
evaluation of buildings, mostly in the form of building certification labels. The
application of LCA at a late stage of the planning process for post-design evaluation
of the environmental impact is not sufficient on its own if the results are not used to
improve the design [1]. The highest optimization potential lies within the early
design stages where the decisions made have the biggest influence on energy
A. Hollberg (&) Á G. Habert
Chair of Sustainable Construction, IBI, ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5,
8093 Zurich, Switzerland
e-mail: hollberg@ibi.baug.ethz.ch
A. Hollberg Á J. Tschetwertak Á S. Schneider
Bauhaus University Weimar, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 8,
99423 Weimar, Germany
© The Author(s) 2018
E. Benetto et al. (eds.), Designing Sustainable Technologies,
Products and Policies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66981-6_30
269