Embodied carbon lab

@ Miller Hull

2023

What and how we build is a critical part of responding to the climate emergency. Today, new tools can empower architects to measure and manage the climate impacts of our designs. Running life cycle assessment (LCA) studies, compiling study results from multiple projects, and creating data visualizations to seek patterns and spur action was my primary responsibility at Miller Hull. Identifying the climate hotspots in our designs helped each project team to pursue the most effective course of action to reduce climate impact. Below is a selection of some data visualizations that I developed in this role.

Sample project dashboard built in Tableau to summarize life cycle assessment results from Tally used in Revit. I developed a replicable in-house data flow from user input to QA to tabulating fine-grain data and final layout. The data flow supported over 250+ LCA studies, and allowed users to instantaneously recall LCA results and compare them to others done at the firm.

Summarizing results from an expanding database of LCA studies.

This project investigated the impact of sourcing wood from Forestry Practices Act (FPA) compliant forests versus FSC-certified forests in Washington (WA) and Oregon (OR) state. This preliminary work sparked the creation of the Climate Smart Wood Group through the Sustainable Design Leaders network across US firms. Credit to David Diaz with Ecotrust for modeled forestry impact data and Brie McCarthy for developing building life cycle inventory.

Illustrating potential sources of data uncertainty in a wood product's life cycle.

Sample visualization of an early-phase carbon impact assessment using three scenarios. The tool is fully-interactive, allowing user input to specify energy consumption, source, and location parameters, as well as rough embodied carbon impact estimates. Tool built using Tableau.

Sample data visualization to communicate how the use of cross-laminated timber affects the overall life cycle impact of a building. Visualizations like this introduced a level of nuance to conversations about the design of hybrid steel-timber structural systems at the firm.

The work of the Embodied Carbon Lab created EMission Zero, a firmwide initiative that combined four steps - Design, Educate, Advoacte, and Offset - to decarbonize the entire portfolio. I was one of the authors of the initiative, and deeply engaged in implementing all four parts.

See more at Miller Hull - EMission Zero.

In my position as a volunteer coordinator for the Carbon Leadership Forum Seattle Regional Hub, I got to program monthly educational sessions about embodied carbon for 300+ building industry professionals in the Puget Sound area - such as this visit to the local Nucor rebar plant.

See more about CLF Seattle here.

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