Scientific and theoretical approaches to complex assessment of building life cycle from a low-carbon development perspective

Abstract

Construction activity is carried out in close interaction with the environment, which has always focused the attention of researchers on ecological safety of construction objects, including low-carbon development and reducing resource intensity and energy consumption at all stages of the building life cycle. The global trends in construction are such areas as decarburization of not only existing but also newly constructed buildings, creating conditions for the implementation of investment and construction projects from a low-carbon development perspective, as well as assessing the carbon impact of implemented projects, including at the early stages of architectural and technological design. The World Green Building Council identifies the carbon impact at early stages as “upfront carbon”, which is becoming increasingly important in a complex life cycle assessment in buildings by low-carbon criterion. The article presents scientific and theoretical approaches to a comprehensive life cycle assessment in buildings from a low-carbon development perspective. The authors have identified the factors allowing to estimate the future building project from the position of low-carbon applied design solutions, suggested a multilayer factor space of the considered indicators (building resources) of carbon impact, proposed a minimization indicator of the building carbon impact, which enables to estimate comprehensively the influence of all factors and indirectly characterize the degree of carbon impact at the life cycle stages, preceding the building operation.

Keywords

• building life cycle
• low-carbon construction
• carbon footprint of buildings
• whole building life cycle assessment from a low-carbon development perspective