Sustainable commercial buildings || Eco-efficient design

Life cycle assessment

LCADesign - eco-profiling software for buildings

LCADesign software package is a real-time environmental impact calculator for commercial property that works directly from the building designer's model. It enables developers, building designers, architects, engineers, builders, manufacturers and government bodies to optimise the eco-impact of a building as the design model evolves instead of waiting months for expert analysis. By integrating with the Building Information Models (BIMs) generated by 3D computer-aided drafting, LCADesign builds eco-efficiency into the design stage and measures the environmental values and risks of materials in commercial buildings.

Users can measure and compare changes to new and refurbished designs and compare eco-preferred and conventional product options, determining in seconds the impact of design improvements across human health, ecosystem damages, resource depletion and carbon impacts. The products, energy and water database allow designers to show the ecological and economic cost of a client’s design choices with new results generated to show comparative numbers and graphs. Databases are also available for Californian, German and Dutch supply chains. For more information contact delwyn.jones@ecquate.com.

LCADesign in the media

The Hon Peter Garrett, Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts officially launched Construction Innovation’s LCADesign software during a keynote address at the World Sustainable Building conference in Melbourne, 22 September. Read the keynote address

The Hon Peter Garrett, Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.

Image courtesy of AIRAH

Back row – L to R:

Dr Keith Hampson, CEO, CRC for Construction Innovation; John Thwaites, former Deputy Premier of Victoria, member of Green Building Council of Australia Board of Directors.

Front row – L to R:

Maria Atkinson, Global Head of Sustainability for Lend Lease Corporation (Maria was the founding Executive Director of Green Building Council of Australia and currently sits on the Board of Directors.); Sharan Burrow, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU); The Honourable Peter Garrett; Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts; Che Wall, Joint Managing Director of the Lincolne Scott Group. (Ché was also Chairman of the World Green Building Council. Ché has been responsible for the formation of the Green Building Council of Australia and currently sits on the Board of Directors, and Chairs the Technical Steering Committee that develops the Green Star Rating System.)
Image courtesy of Romilly Madew