Eye Desaturate
Invert Mode Inverse Color
Link Highlight links
Keypad Keyboard navigation
Triangle Black cursor
Triangle White cursor
Remove Circle Small text
Add Circle Large text
Refresh Reset
Close Close

The Journey: Developing the Decarbonized Specification – Process, Content & Breakdown

 The Architect’s Role

As architects, our role as “master mediator” ensures clients’ goals are achieved on time and budget. When our clients seek sustainable solutions, they rely on our expertise in understanding how buildings, structures, and spaces are constructed and evolve over time, taking into account technological advancements, societal changes, environmental considerations, as well as other relevant factors.

We are working to guide clients towards decarbonized projects by analyzing specifications in a two-fold process:

  1. Standard Specification – Measure the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of every product in the baseline specification.
  2. Decarbonized Specification – Identify low-carbon alternatives with determined GWP values.

The possibility of a Hybrid Specification option allows clients to choose products from both standard and decarbonized specifications for custom specs. As sustainability continues to push its priorities to the forefront, we have taken steps to evaluate how to design responsibly and in a climate-conscious manner.

STEP 1: Retain a Research and Development Team

Our team included:

  • KIRKOR who directed the research, scheduling, and review of content, and prepared the final report to develop strategies to address information gaps
  • Ha/f Climate Design who assessed standard specifications, provided carbon values for baseline products, suggested low carbon alternatives, and outlined their carbon values
  • BBS who analyzed proposed low carbon alternatives for qualitative and performance values considering applicability to project types. Materials deemed unsuitable were explained and removed from consideration.

STEP 2: Study our Specifications

To start developing the new set of specifications, we examined our Master Outline Specifications for products typically used in our projects, focusing on Divisions 3-9 and A1-3 Product Stage for upfront carbon data:

  • Division 3 (Concrete)
  • Division 4 (Masonry)
  • Division 5 (Metal)
  • Division 6 (Wood, Plastics, and Composites)
  • Division 7 (Thermal & Moisture Protection)
  • Division 8 (Openings)
  • Division 9 (Finishes)

Each of these Divisions were reviewed within the A1-3 Product Stage (i.e. Upfront Carbon) as there were known factors that could be pulled from the database references, such as OneClick LCA and others. Division 1 was also explored later in the exercise as it relates to wording and processes; a critical piece to the investigation especially with regards to addressing the remaining life cycle stages of the product (i.e. A4-5 Construction Process Stage).

STEP 3: Set-up the Spec Carbon Chart

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) were used to determine GWP, with varying reliability based on specificity. Four types of EPDs were used:

  1. Product Specific
  2. Group
  3. Industry Wide
  4. Manufacturer Comparable Data

The final two categories, “Other Comparable Data” and “No Data Available”, were noted in the study but not further investigated as the lack of information may have increased room for error and inaccuracy.

STEP 4: Execute a Living Document

From this point, data was organized in the Spec Carbon Chart, detailing product information, carbon values, and their place within the specification. The Spec Carbon Chart was completed in two parts:

  • Part 1: Focused on products within the Standard Specification, EPD availability, carbon value, and recommended low-carbon alternatives.
  • Part 2: Integrated vetted low-carbon materials and completed the chart data.

Quantitative and qualitative metrics of both parts will help clients make informed decisions about products. Ha/f Climate Design based the qualitative metrics on the Donghia Healthier Materials Library whereby products are categorized into six components outlining additional benefits it may have on people and the environment. These include health, social, waste, water, circularity and finally carbon. The quantitative metrics KIRKOR developed for the chart outline which product has the highest percentage of carbon within each division and within the overall specifications.

Ultimately, the development of the Specification Carbon Chart, as a living document, represents a significant milestone that motivates us to continually learn and advance in our mission to decarbonize our buildings, adapting to innovations and technological improvements that allow us and our clients to contribute to healthier environments.

Author: Lara Gumushdjian, KIRKOR’s Director of Sustainability

Related insights