Modular methodology for building life cycle assessment for a building stock model

Life Cycle Assessment is a more and more widely used method for the environmental evaluation of buildings. In this paper, we present a modular methodology for the environmental assessment and optimisation of buildings. The methodology is implemented in a parametric design tool where the building geometry can be modelled in 3D, then the energy performance is determined with the energy calculation module and the environmental impact is calculated with the LCA module. The life cycle impact minimization is possible through the optimization module. The method is demonstrated on a case study of a typical model of a house described by a typology of the Hungarian building stock. We present the application of the method for both new building design and energy retrofitting. Such typological assessments facilitate the further modelling of a complete building stock (e.g. residential buildings), and with the help of optimization tools, the potential for environmental impact mitigation of the housing industry will be also possible.