The Application of Life Cycle Assessment in Buildings: Challenges, and Directions for Future Research

New generation life cycle assessment (LCA) methods and tools can positively influence the environmental impact of the built environment and help mitigate the effects of climate change.  They continuously learn from real-time data while allowing for effective operation and management strategies of buildings and districts.  This time dimension is essential to better understand resource use.  Semantic-based dynamic (real-time) LCA, which assesses the “cradle-to-grave-to-reincarnation” environmental sustainability capability of building projects, addresses temporal and spatial variations in the local built and environmental ecosystem.  Further combination of time-dependent life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models can lead to more comprehensive and reliable LCA results.