How building life-cycle assessment is transforming design and material selection

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report “Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2025–2026”, the construction and operation of buildings account for nearly 50% of global material extraction and 37% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, the design process must go beyond considering initial construction costs to include an analysis of the building’s environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method for analyzing the environmental impact of a building, product, or service across all stages of its existence: from raw material extraction and construction material production to transportation, use, and final disposal. LCA encompasses characteristics such as global warming potential (GWP), emissions to air, water and soil, energy use, water consumption and waste generation.

The LCA methodology is based on the international standards ISO 14040 (general principles) and ISO 14044 (requirements and guidelines), which are applicable in Ukraine. The assessment of the environmental characteristics of construction products and structures is typically conducted in accordance with the European standard EN 15978 (adopted in Ukraine), which divides a building’s life cycle into four main stages:

LCA and Design

Applying LCA during the building design process makes it possible to compare materials not only based on price and thermal performance characteristics but also based on their cumulative environmental impact. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) enables architects and structural engineers to visualize the impact of their decisions on a building’s carbon footprint during the design phase and to make informed adjustments to mitigate that impact based on the resulting data. Such calculations help avoid the additional costs associated with making changes during the project implementation stage and facilitate achieving higher scores in LEED, BREEAM and DGNB certification systems.

Calculating LCA requires a vast amount of data regarding the characteristics and operational conditions of building materials and structures. Selected construction materials must possess Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) that detail their environmental impact. Integrating LCA with Building Information Modeling (BIM) simplifies data collection, provided the material manufacturer has embedded the necessary information into the BIM model. For instance, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) –calculated in an LCA and listed in an EPD – can also be specified within the BIM model.

Using data from an information model allows for the automatic recalculation of a building’s overall impact whenever design decisions are modified. This approach reduces the time required to prepare design documentation and improves result accuracy, it demands a high level of software integration and comprehensive data within the BIM environment.

Tools available for conducting building life-cycle assessments range from standalone software suites – spanning general-purpose platforms (such as SimaPro, Sphera LCA, and openLCA) to specialized construction software (like Athena Impact Estimator and Preoptima) – to integrated Revit add-ins (such as One Click LCA, Tally and Beacon).

The impact of LCA on the selection of building materials and structural systems

When assessing a building’s life cycle, preference is given to materials and structural systems that exhibit low embodied carbon during production, eliminate the need for “wet” processes on-site, offer a long service life without requiring replacement or repair, allow for easy replacement without disrupting the facility’s operation, enable reuse and possess verified environmental performance data (EPD).

In this context, steel load-bearing and envelope structures hold an advantage over alternatives like concrete; their low weight reduces costs associated with foundations and transportation. Furthermore, steel is 100% recyclable, and components such as structural steel frame, trapezoid sheeting, sandwich panels and facade cladding can be dismantled and reused in other projects.

International experience and Ukrainian realities

LCA is gradually evolving from a purely voluntary tool into a component of mandatory construction regulations within the European Union. In EU countries and the UK, certain LCA principles and calculation methods have already been incorporated into regulatory requirements.

The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (EU) 2024/1275 is progressively introducing mandatory reporting on the total life-cycle carbon footprint of new buildings. Starting in 2028 for large new buildings (exceeding 1,000 m²) and in 2030 for all new buildings, the life-cycle GWP indicator must be included in the building’s energy performance certificate.

Ukraine currently lacks regulations mandating LCA calculations; consequently, the tool remains voluntary and is primarily used in projects involving international investors.

At the same time, Order No. 168 of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, titled “Certain Issues Regarding the Implementation of Requirements for Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings” (dated February 6, 2025), establishes energy efficiency requirements for new construction and thermal modernization. This document lays the groundwork for a gradual transition from energy efficiency assessment to a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of buildings.

The Ukrainian construction market is currently in a state of transition. The drive toward European integration and post-war reconstruction could act as a catalyst for the systemic adoption of LCA, as international donors prioritize projects that meet European standards for energy efficiency and sustainable construction. Ukrainian companies that adopt LCA approaches at the project concept stage – even in the absence of regulatory mandates – will gain several advantages: lower operating costs, easier and faster access to international financing and readiness for European requirements that will be progressively implemented in Ukraine.

LCA and LCC

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is a specific type of building life cycle analysis that serves as a logical complement to LCA. While LCA evaluates environmental impact, LCC assesses the cost of owning a building throughout its entire life cycle. Both analyses utilize much of the same input data and cover the same life cycle stages. They complement each other, providing investors with a clear picture of both the total cost and the environmental impact of a building over its entire life cycle.

LCC enables investors to see the true cost profile and compare alternative materials and solutions – not merely based on initial price, but by determining which option offers the best value in the long term.