Architecture firm KieranTimberlake, in conjunction with PE International and Autodesk Sustainability Solutions, announce the commercial availability of Tally, a software application for Revit that calculates the environmental impact of building materials.
It is the only application to be fully integrated into Revit, providing architects, engineers, and building professionals with insight into how materials-related decisions made during design influence a building’s overall ecological footprint.
Backed by the rigor and credibility of GaBi data from PE International, the application enables life cycle assessment (LCA) on demand, documenting information across eight life cycle impact categories that align with LEED v4 and other rating systems.
The commercial release follows a three-month public beta, in which nearly 500 users tested Tally and provided feedback on a broad range of design scenarios.
Bringing Life Cycle Data to the Design Process
While working in a Revit model, Tally users correlate modeled elements to a custom LCA database built on GaBi, the largest environmental dataset for LCA used by leading corporations worldwide for both internal and critically-reviewed published studies. The database combines material attributes, assembly details, engineering and architectural specifications with environmental impact data, including branded information from manufacturer environmental product declarations (EPDs).
“Tally empowers design professionals to evaluate product impacts early in the design phase, enabling smarter material selection, and ultimately the construction of better, high-performance buildings,” states Heather Gadonniex, director of strategic business development for PE International.
“Tally addresses a range of questions, whether comparing a whole building to a benchmark, exploring variations in building massing or construction type, or selecting finishes,” explains Roderick Bates, Tally development team leader at KieranTimberlake. “It can show where the largest environmental impacts reside within a design, and ways in which they compare across material options.”
Complete Bill of Materials
Buildings are composed of thousands of parts, each with their own origins and manufacturing flows, not all of which are accounted for in a Revit model. Tally helps paint a comprehensive portrait of a building and the products that go into it.
The specific quantities of materials like paint, sealants, fasteners, or grout not modeled in Revit are essential to a life cycle assessment. Tally lets users assign materials and quantities, then leverage the tool to perform material takeoffs and provide a complete bill of goods for a building. Currently, no other environmental assessment tool provides this function.
New enhancements and features have been released in the commercial version:
- Data can now be added to a Revit template to save time and promote firm-wide consistency.
- Elements from linked models can be filtered by phase and workset.
- New assemblies have been added, including a wide array of cladding panels, complete with hardware and finishes.
- New materials have been added, including actual GaBi life cycle data from product manufacturer EPDs.
Pricing and Information
Tally is available immediately as a 30-day free trial through Autodesk Exchange or http://www.choosetally.com, where video tutorials are also available. After 30 days, a license must be purchased to continue use. The cost per floating license is $1,200 USD annually. Educational licenses for non-commercial use are available by request to support@choosetally.com.
Related Stories
| May 22, 2012
O’Connell Robertson acquires Mitchell Design Consultancy
Mary Ann A. Mitchell, AIA, IIDA, MDC principal and founder, joins O’Connell Robertson as part of the acquisition.
| May 21, 2012
$61,000 awarded to students in Cleveland’s ACE Mentor Program
Mayor Frank G. Jackson gives keynote address at scholarship event for 80 Cleveland Metropolitan School District students involved in the ACE Mentor Program, which provides guidance and assistance for students interested in careers in the integrated construction industry.
| May 21, 2012
Wayne, Pa.'s Radnor Middle School wins national green award
Radnor Middle School among the most sustainable schools in the U.S.
| May 21, 2012
Winchester High School receives NuRoof system
Metal Roof Consultants attended a school board meeting and presented a sloped metal retrofit roof as an alternative to tearing off the existing roof and replacing it with another flat roof.
| May 17, 2012
EMerge Alliance forms new Campus Microgrid Technical Standards Committee
Intel leading the charge to connect multiple DC microgrids throughout commercial buildings; others invited to join effort.
| May 16, 2012
AIA issues guide to IGCC
Getting the IgCC adopted in all 50 states and in jurisdictions across the country is the primary mission of the ICC, which published the code in March.
| May 16, 2012
Architecture Billings Index reverts to negative territory
Decline is possibly a brief pause from unusually strong winter activity.
| May 16, 2012
AEG releases 3D video of L.A.'s Farmers Field
The Los Angeles Convention Center footage depicts the new convention center hall spaces, including a new lobby above Pico Boulevard, pre-function space, and what will be the largest multi-purpose ballroom in Los Angeles.
| May 16, 2012
Balfour Beatty Construction taps Kiger as VP of operations
Kiger will manage current relationships and pursue other strategic clients, including select healthcare clients and strategic project pursuits in the Central Tennessee region.
| May 15, 2012
One World Trade Center goes to new height of sustainability
One of the biggest challenges in developing this concrete mixture was meeting the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey’s strict requirement for the replacement of cement.
