Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment

Every existing building holds an invaluable amount of embodied carbon and community memory. That’s why the decision to demolish and replace should never be taken lightly.

In the video below, our team breaks down the embodied carbon cycle and explains the importance of reducing embodied carbon in the built environment. Four experts from across the firm join the conversation: Senior Associate Alexis Cecil, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Fitwel Amb.; Senior Associate Maureen Vosmek, Fitwel Amb.; Associate Marisa Allen, AIA, LEED AP ID+C, Fitwel Amb.; and Interior Designer Byronaé Lewis, NCIDQ, LEED Green Associate, NOMA.

Building Reuse is Climate Action: Embodied Carbon

Video Transcript

ALEXIS CECIL

Building reuse is climate action and that's one of the core principles of the work that we do.

MAUREEN VOSMEK

We really see existing buildings as a resource to be tapped to fight climate change. All of the embodied carbon and embodied materials in those buildings can be preserved.

MARISA ALLEN

There are two types of carbon. There's embodied carbon and that's really about the energy and resources that go into making building materials. So, it's all the work that happens to make the bricks and the framing and all of the supplies that go into the building. The other piece of carbon is operational carbon. And that's the energy used to keep a building running. 11% of all global carbon emissions come from making building materials.

ALEXIS CECIL

We've crunched the numbers. We've done the math. We've checked on this. The amount of energy and carbon emissions that are required or created from demolition and building new construction far outweigh that of reusing and revitalizing our existing spaces.

MARISA ALLEN

If we look at the carbon emissions avoided in the whole Quinn Evans portfolio, it's really kind of staggering the difference that it makes by saving existing buildings.

BYRONAÉ LEWIS

We’re in a place right now where there is a lot of historic or even abandoned spaces that need revitalization, so it’s creating a pivot on how we look at design in the industry.