Carbon footprint in buildings

1. CARBON FOOTPRINT IN
BUILDINGS
Lecture by Ar. &
Env.Designer M.Tariq
For Batch Ar-2018
Cecos Unievrsity

2. According to the World Bank, if the world's population reaches even
the projected number of 9.6 billion people by 2050, it will take
almost three Earth planets to provide the natural resources needed to
maintain humanity's current lifestyle.

3. Every day an enormous amount of carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere through industry, transportation, burning fossil fuels and
even respiration of plants and living things.
As the consequences of climate change become clearer, both
governments and private sector companies are setting targets for
carbon emission reductions, since these are regarded as the main
greenhouse gases, and their high concentration in the atmosphere
lead to air pollution and acid rain, among other consequences.

4. The construction industry has a significant impact, with materials and
construction products causing carbon dioxide emissions in activities
such as mining, transportation, factories and combining chemical
products.

5. EMBODIED CARBON
The concept of embodied carbon addresses the sum of the impact of
all greenhouse gas emissions attributed to materials throughout their
life cycle (soil extraction, manufacturing, construction,
utilization/maintenance, and end-of-life/disposal).

7. CARBON NEUTRALIZATION
Carbon neutralization is an alternative that seeks to avoid the
consequences of the imbalance of the greenhouse effect, from a
calculation of carbon emission.
Although the subject seems broad and almost oblivious to us, the
materials you choose and the way you work with them have a
footprint that you should consider.

8. HOW?
A good project can reduce carbon emissions during the use of the
building.
It is important to consider how to influence the occupation and use
of buildings and infrastructure, in fact, it is estimated that 20% of the
impact in terms of energy consumption occurs in the design phase
and construction, while 80% happens in the phase of operation of the
building.
Therefore, thinking about proper insulation, natural lighting and
shading can greatly decrease the need for energy use later on.

9. Understand the materials specified in the project and where they
come from
As we have already discussed, the extraction, production, and
transportation of basic building materials use a tremendous amount
of energy and carbon.
In Brazil, for example, the steel industry accounts for about 35% of
the carbon emissions of the industrial sector, while cement
production accounts for 19%.

10. During the construction phase,
it is important to address the impact of heavy machinery,
transportation of materials and waste generation as well as its proper
disposal.

11. A good example of a committed energy project is the Hewitt Studios'
Berkeley Green Skills Center, by Hewitt Studios, designed to become
an example of regenerative investment and an educational tool in and
of itself.
Sustainable initiatives include an integrated photovoltaic facade
(BIPV), a thermally efficient enclosure, LED lighting and low impact
wood structure.