Building reuse represents a significant opportunity to avoid carbon emissions in the critical near term, but until recently, quantifying the carbon “savings” in a retrofit or reuse versus new construction has been arduous, often fraught with inaccuracy, and lacking in standardized methodology. Architecture 2030’s CARE (Carbon Avoided Retrofit Estimator) Tool has dramatically streamlined the process, enabling owners, communities, and design teams to quickly quantify the carbon benefits—and understand the value of reuse.
Based on simple user inputs about energy targets and potential building interventions, the CARE Tool estimates both the operational carbon emissions (from energy use in the building) and embodied carbon emissions (tied to building materials) associated with reusing and upgrading an existing building or replacing it with new construction. The tool was developed by design experts Larry Strain of Siegel and Strain Architects, Erin McDade of Architecture 2030, and Lori Ferriss of Goody Clancy.
Now, owners, developers, community leaders, and design and planning teams can get answers to nuanced questions about reuse. For example: Retrofitting an existing building to zero operating emissions will almost always be the lowest carbon option. But what if the retrofit achieves only a 50% reduction and you can replace it with a zero operating emissions building? What if a large addition is required to increase density or accommodate new uses? How does climate zone, grid intensity, and the condition of the existing building affect those considerations?
Carbon savings visualized as total embodied and operational emissions
Outputs are visualized as total embodied and operational emissions over a specified time frame as well as cumulative emissions over time, for three scenarios: the existing building, the renovated building, and the new construction. Results can be compared to determine the lowest total-carbon approach and the time frame in which that occurs.
“We’ve done deep-dive simulations of up-front (embodied) carbon emissions as well as projected carbon emissions from building operation, spending hundreds of staff hours,” says Z Smith, Principal and Director of Sustainability and Building Performance at EskewDumezRipple. “The CARE tool allows us to demonstrate—in minutes—the benefits of renovations, not just to the human experience of the buildings, but to their environmental footprint. This is a great addition to the tools architects need to make the case for the rapid transformation of our existing building stock.”
The CARE Tool can also be used by policymakers, planners, building owners, developers, heritage building officers, architects, and educators who are interested in a pre- or early-design, high-level assessment of the total emissions impact of building reuse versus replacement. With retrofits on the rise and the urgent need for climate action, tools like CARE fill a critical gap in our understanding and valuation of the existing building stock as an important climate asset.
The CARE Tool is currently being funded by a 2020 ONEder Grant, 2021 Moe Family Fund Grant through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the 1772 Foundation. The CARE Team is currently seeking additional development support.
Access the free CARE tool here.
Related Stories
| Oct 12, 2010
University of Toledo, Memorial Field House
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Silver Award. Memorial Field House, once the lovely Collegiate Gothic (ca. 1933) centerpiece (along with neighboring University Hall) of the University of Toledo campus, took its share of abuse after a new athletic arena made it redundant, in 1976. The ultimate insult occurred when the ROTC used it as a paintball venue.
| Oct 12, 2010
Cell and Genome Sciences Building, Farmington, Conn.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Silver Award. Administrators at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington didn’t think much of the 1970s building they planned to turn into the school’s Cell and Genome Sciences Building. It’s not that the former toxicology research facility was in such terrible shape, but the 117,800-sf structure had almost no windows and its interior was dark and chopped up.
| Oct 12, 2010
The Watch Factory, Waltham, Mass.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards — Gold Award. When the Boston Watch Company opened its factory in 1854 on the banks of the Charles River in Waltham, Mass., the area was far enough away from the dust, dirt, and grime of Boston to safely assemble delicate watch parts.
| Oct 12, 2010
Full Steam Ahead for Sustainable Power Plant
An innovative restoration turns a historic but inoperable coal-burning steam plant into a modern, energy-efficient marvel at Duke University.
| Oct 12, 2010
From ‘Plain Box’ to Community Asset
The Mid-Ohio Foodbank helps provide 55,000 meals a day to the hungry. Who would guess that it was once a nondescript mattress factory?
| Oct 11, 2010
HGA wins 25-Year Award from AIA Minnesota
HGA Architects and Engineers won a 25-Year Award from AIA Minnesota for the Willow Lake Laboratory.
| Oct 11, 2010
Rhode Island is the first state to adopt IGCC
Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act identifies the IGCC as an equivalent standard in compliance with requirements that all public agency major facility projects be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Rules and Regulations to implement the Act take effect in October 2010.
| Oct 8, 2010
Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold
Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.
| Oct 6, 2010
Windows Keep Green Goals in View
The DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has almost 600 window openings, and yet it's targeting LEED Platinum, net-zero energy use, and 50% improvement over ASHRAE 90.1. How the window ‘problem’ is part of the solution.
| Oct 6, 2010
From grocery store to culinary school
A former West Philadelphia supermarket is moving up the food chain, transitioning from grocery store to the Center for Culinary Enterprise, a business culinary training school.
