A Review of the Environmental Impact of Buildings with an Emphasis on Performance Assessment Tools and Their Incorporation of LCA

Abstract

Background. The environmental performance of buildings has been a focus of interest over the years in the building sector. Numerous building environmental assessment tools (BEA) have evolved to follow the lead of sustainability by updating categories and criteria from a lifecycle perspective. Therefore, it is timely to review the existing methods that already integrated LCA in their processes. The purpose of this study unfolds in three ways: (1) to review the existing BEA methods and LCA studies in residential buildings, (2) to compare the most adopted BEA methods, and (3) to study the integration of LCA and sustainability aspects applied within each selected BEA method. Methods. Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between August 2010 and August 2021 in English. To identify studies and to conduct this review, four keywords, namely “Building Assessment Tools,” “Residential Building,” “LCA,” and “Sustainability” (and their derivatives), were used. The articles were searched so that all four keywords or at least a derivative of each keyword would appear. Furthermore, the outcomes of the database search were categorized as LCA and BEA for the review. Moreover, the seven most adopted rating systems were selected for review and comparison based on (1) the scope of buildings assessed, (2) lifecycle phases assessed, (3) assessment criteria, and (4) the user of tools. Findings. Of the 42 articles that met the enclosure criteria, 20 articles covered the environmental impact and 22 articles covered LCA. The review reveals that most of the analyzed systems focus more on the operational stage than on the other stages. Each BEA method is diverse in terms of its users, criteria, and regions and creates a niche among assessment methods. Conclusions. The main conclusion of this study is that a great deal of work is required to achieve the goal of making the existing “environmental” building assessment tools more sustainable. At the same time, a focus on the better implementation of LCA functionalities at each stage and a complement by integrating socioeconomic-based LCA models were also required.

A Conceptual Methodology for the Renovation of Multi-apartment Buildings with a Combined Performance and Lifecycle Approach

“…Rating tools integrate the LCA approach in their methods to a certain extent (not obligatory); however, how the results based on LCA affect the entire process of certification is still unclear (Chandrasekaran and Dvarionienė, 2022). In this methodology, an integrated approach combines both performance tools and a lifecycle approach to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of multi-apartment renovation.…”

“…Schemes, namely LEED V4 homes (LEED Rating System, 2019), BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out (BRE Ltd, 2020), and DGNB Existing Buildings and Renovation (DGNB, 2021), are often used for the evaluation of existing building renovations, focusing on building operation by promoting design and interiors. The DGNB covers economic, sociocultural, and technical factors and gives considerable weightage to lifecycle assessment than BREEAM and LEED systems (Chandrasekaran and Dvarionienė, 2022;Doan et al, 2017;Mattinzioli et al, 2020). ReSBToolCZ was the first method created for renovating residential structures emphasizing social-cultural values (Mancik and Růžička, 2012).…”

Configuration Optimization for Sustainable Temporary Houses Employing BIM Procedure

“…Energy is used for the environmental control of the building and pollutants are emitted externally during its use. The total environmental impact has to be evaluated with reference to the site's local characteristics that condition the energy used to control the indoor temperature and the distance of transporting materials [37]. The last stage of the procedure proposed in this study is the LCA of the temporary housing.…”

Green building energy: Patents analysis and analytical hierarchy process evaluation

“…Various studies have applied LCA to assess the environmental impact of buildings and identify opportunities for energy optimization. For example, a recent study compared the energy performance of different building materials and construction methods using LCA, highlighting the importance of sustainable material choices [ 27 ]. By considering the life cycle perspective, LCA enables a holistic approach to energy prediction and optimization in buildings.…”