Carbon Research

Net-zero embodied carbon – this is the aspiration taking hold of the building industry which currently contributes to 37% of the world’s global carbon emissions. This research is in collaboration with the School of Built Environment at the University of New South Wales and Cantilever and explores the question ‘How low can we go?’ through option testing through different material arrangements of TERROIR’s St.Lukes Timber Tower in Launceston which is due for completion in late 2024.

Interrogating and isolating elements of build form – fixed elements, structural façade, columns and façade treatment – the team created a matrix of different modes of the building to determine opportunities for carbon optimisation. From here, each option was then judged according to a criteria which captured elements such as raw material supply, transport, manufacturing, maintenance and disposal across the material’s life which included product stage, construction and installation, use and end-of life.

The results of this project showed that when ‘gaming’ the options such as choosing mass timber structure, reducing window to wall ratios, and seeking cement replacements, resulted in a 43% reduction of carbon.