LCA / Embodied Carbon

Estimate whole-building embodied carbon (A1–A3, with optional A4–A5) from material quantities and assembly types. Compare against Architecture 2030 and LEED v4.1 MRc1 benchmarks, identify high-carbon materials, and surface lower-carbon substitutions with their GWP delta.

1Project data
Total conditioned GFA. Used for per-SF normalization and quantity auto-estimates.
Used to estimate wall area and structural height.
Phase affects precision expectations in results.
Used for LEED WBLCA comparison and annualized carbon metrics.
2Structural system

Select your primary structural system. Quantities will be auto-estimated from GFA and story count — override any value manually. Structure is typically 40–60% of total embodied carbon.

3Exterior envelope

Wall area and roof area are auto-estimated from GFA, stories, and floor height. Override if you have takeoff quantities. Glazing area is calculated from the window-to-wall ratio.

Exterior wall
Auto-estimated from perimeter × height × (1 − WWR).
Typical commercial: 30–50%. High-rise: 60–80%. Residential: 20–35%.
Auto-estimated from wall area × WWR. Skip if curtain wall is selected above (already included).
Roof
Auto-estimated as GFA ÷ number of stories.
Typical commercial low-slope: 3–5". High-performance: 6–8".
4Interior finishes

Interior finishes typically represent 10–20% of total embodied carbon. Quantities are auto-estimated from GFA. Adjust if you have more specific data.

Interior partitions
Auto-estimated at 0.8× GFA for commercial. Residential: 0.4–0.6× GFA.
Flooring
Auto-estimated at GFA × 0.9 (excluding structure and exterior walls).
Ceiling
Auto-estimated at GFA × 0.85.
5MEP systems + site
MEP embodied carbon is typically estimated as a factor of GFA at early design — detailed MEP takeoffs are rarely available at SD/DD. The values below are average ranges from CLF and NZCA data. Override if you have better information.
Standard commercial: 10–15 kg CO2e/SF. Healthcare: 25–50 kg CO2e/SF. CLF WBLCA data.
Paved area, walks, and site concrete. Leave 0 to exclude from total.
+A4–A5 transport + construction waste
A4 (transport to site) and A5 (construction waste and equipment) are estimated as percentages of A1–A3 total. These are typical ranges — actual values depend on site location, contractor practices, and local disposal rates.
Typical range: 3–8%. Local sourcing: 2–3%. Import-heavy projects: 8–15%.
Typical range: 2–6%. Well-managed sites with prefab: 2–3%. Conventional sites: 4–6%.
↧ Import from BIM takeoff (optional override)
Paste a CSV or tab-delimited takeoff with columns: category, material, quantity, unit
Supported units: CY (concrete), TON (steel/rebar), SF (area), LF (linear), MBF (lumber), CF (timber volume)
Example: Structure, Concrete 4000psi, 450, CY
GWP values are A1–A3 averages derived from EC3 database ranges, CLF WBLCA Benchmark Study (2019), and publicly available EPDs. Values represent typical market averages — actual EPD-declared values will differ. Architecture 2030 benchmarks from the CLF embodied carbon benchmark dataset. LEED v4.1 MRc1 thresholds per USGBC rating system. This tool provides planning-level estimates — a formal WBLCA by a qualified professional is required for certification submittal.