LCA Volume – A Digital Tool for Visualising the Climate Impact of Construction at an Early Stage
LCA volume is an open-source tool that enables environmental impacts to be assessed during the early conceptual stages of urban development, with a particular focus on preserving existing buildings.
How can the climate impact of urban development be reduced from the earliest stages of planning and design? This question inspired LCA Volume - a digital tool that integrates preliminary environmental impact assessments into the design process.
The tool enables users to compare different design scenarios and visualise the environmental consequences of design decisions. It provides consultants, architects, and developers with a stronger basis for making informed decisions while highlighting the potential of preserving and transforming existing buildings.
LCA Volume has been developed as an open-source script for Grasshopper in Rhino, a widely used digital platform in architectural practice.
The project was carried out in collaboration between Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, and CEBRA architects. It was supported by AU Connect, Bevar Mere, an industry initiative involving Grundejernes Investeringsfond, Dreyers Foundation, Landsbyggefonden, and Realdania.
The tool is available to everyone and can be downloaded online for free.
