Decarbonizing the Built Environment: How Technology and Collaboration Are Shaping a Sustainable Future

As we wrestle with solutions to the mounting challenges of climate change, one of the most important tasks will be focusing attention on the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.  

People are often surprised to learn that the aviation industry is not a significant polluter. In fact, the aviation industry contributes to a relatively small 2.5% of global emissions compared to the built environment. A staggering 42% of global greenhouse emissions come from the built environment every year!  

Technology solutions represent meaningful, cost-effective ways to deliver on decarbonization and addresses a major opportunity for the architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) industry. From using data to make informed decisions, to incorporating innovative building materials in projects, and increasing public and private collaborations, we have an incredible opportunity to increase the energy and operational efficiency of our buildings across the world and to build them with less embodied carbon (the carbon footprint of a building or infrastructure project before it becomes operational).  

Data Driven Decisions 

With the right data, designers, architects, engineers and operators can measure both embodied and operational carbon and make data-driven decisions to improve sustainability at both the project design/build and operational levels.  

In the AECO industry, digital transformation starts with cloud-enabled Building Information Modeling (BIM)—a set of processes that manage the entire asset lifecycle for built assets like office buildings, bridges, stadiums, or hospitals. 

In order to embrace the BIM process across planning, detailed design, construction and operations, it is critical for firms to adopt digital technology and digitally enabled processes.  The volume of data and number of stakeholders can no longer be managed with disconnected and analog processes. 

With BIM in place, stakeholders can optimize building designs for carbon reduction by integrating their data starting from the design phase through to building operations. By having project data in a central location (or common data environment), simulation tools like energy modeling software can help architects and builders compare how different designs, building orientation, and materials can impact carbon—leading to a reduction in overall carbon emissions.

Off-site Processes and New Materials  

The construction industry has an ever-growing list of choices when it comes to energy-efficient carbon friendly materials. Being open to offsite construction processes and new types of construction materials from mass timber to bio-based materials can help reduce construction waste and embodied carbon.  

Project Phoenix, a 316-unit modular affordable housing development on the site of a former steel factory in West Oakland, California is a great example. The project has ambitious sustainability goals. One of the features is the building skin, which uses panelized systems manufactured offsite that use mycelium insulation.

The rootlike structure of mushrooms are able to store more than 70 percent of carbon compared to soil! The mushroom material is inserted and installed inside the panels in their factory and capture carbon to create a net-zero carbon facade panel.

Implementing solutions like Project Phoenix at scale can have a huge impact to meeting decarbonization goals. If this single customer used the same façade assembly in all of their new builds for one year in California alone, they would sequester the carbon equivalent of 4,000 acres of dense forest over 50 years. 

Collaboration Is Key 

In order to grow and scale efforts, governments and businesses are starting to recognize the importance of a collaborative approach to promote sustainable building practices. In Europe, the European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandates all new buildings must be carbon-zero and requires the retrofitting of existing energy-inefficient structures. 

While the E.U. is leading the charge, the U.S. isn’t far behind. The General Services Administration's (GSA) Green Proving Ground (GPG) program uses federal buildings as testbeds for evaluating emerging clean energy technologies. Since the GSA manages thousands of federal buildings as well as leased space totaling about 370 million square feet, the GPG program serves as a major model for other sectors and regions looking for decarbonization technology solutions. 

Regulations and government initiatives aren’t enough on their own. We also need greater awareness, education and advocacy to encourage the adoption of sustainable solutions. The good news is that the tools and technologies necessary for sustainable building already exist. From energy-efficient materials to innovative construction methods, the AECO industry has the means to plan and build projects that last longer and have a lower environmental impact. What will be critical is a concerted effort from all stakeholders—developers, architects, engineers, contractors and owners—to make sustainability a priority. 

As the AECO industry becomes increasingly aware of its environmental footprint, it also has the opportunity to lead the way towards a greener future. By embracing innovative technologies, fostering collaboration between governments and businesses and raising awareness throughout the value chain, the industry can pave the way for a more sustainable built environment.