Here is the fourth episode of my Autodesk Forma video series, sponsored by Autodesk.
In this episode, I share the steps required to perform an early embodied carbon analysis using a new Forma extension developed by Autodesk in collaboration with EHDD based in San Francisco, California. Also included is a 3-minute excerpt of my interview with Jack Rusk, Director of Climate Strategy at EHDD, in their offices this past February 2024. Watch for a link to the full 30-minute interview in the near future.
Note that this functionality is an Autodesk technology preview, meaning it is a pre-release version, under evaluation and provided as a trial version.
Using the massing and location of a building developed in Autodesk Forma, the Embodied Cardon tool facilitates the selection of basic envelope and structural systems. With this information defined in a Forma proposal (i.e., design option) EHDD's C.Scale engine, which uses real-world data and machine learning, Forma provides an embodied carbon equivalent baseline or benchmark that can be used to guide decisions throughout the project.
A current limitation to be aware of, referenced in the video: Multiple massing elements used to represent a single building or connected structures will not only overestimate the envelope a little (because it's counting an extra wall, floor, or roof area of touching surfaces), it will underestimate structure because it will not consider that one chunk of a building is supporting another.
YouTube Video
Check out the video here: Episode 04 - Embodied Carbon
Lake|Flato Investigations
At the end of this episode, I share some related work Lake|Flato is doing on embodied carbon and mass timber. This work is part of Investigations, a self-funded research program. lakeflato.com/vision/investigations
Autodesk Announcement
Check out this official Autodesk post: Analyze the embodied carbon of your buildings
Series Episodes
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