Embodied Carbon Optimization for Residential Building Design through Strategic Low-Carbon Material Configurations

Zhifan Liu; Haibo Feng

Abstract:

Embodied carbon (EC) is becoming a dominant factor in energy-efficient buildings, often accounting for over 50% of their life-cycle emissions in new construction. Therefore, minimizing building EC emissions is imperative to meeting Canada's climate targets under the Paris Agreement and supporting the transition to a low-carbon built environment. Early design decisions, particularly in the selection and configuration of materials, play a critical role in achieving significant reductions in EC. Building on this premise, this paper investigates how EC performance can be optimized through the strategic use of low-carbon material combinations, selected from a curated database of low-carbon alternatives. To illustrate this approach, a case study is conducted on a single-family residential building in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The study explores a range of possibilities for material usage, performing EC assessments for various scenarios and analyzing the resulting configurations to identify the optimal design. The results of the case study reveal that strategic combinations of low-carbon materials in key building components, such as foundations and sheathing, can reduce EC by 24.19% compared to conventional construction methods. The carbon intensity decreases from 277.17 kg CO?e/m² to 210 kg CO?e/m², nearly meeting the benchmark for EC in new Part 9 homes in Vancouver, highlighting the potential to reduce building EC through strategic integration of low-carbon materials during early design phases. Through computational tools and life cycle assessment (LCA), it offers practical strategies to reduce EC while maintaining performance and aesthetics, supporting sustainable construction and climate goals.