SR349 New Zealand whole-building whole-of-life framework: An overview (2019)

BRANZ, with industry and research partners, has developed the New Zealand wholebuilding whole-of-life framework, which aims to provide resources to facilitate more consistent use of life cycle assessment (LCA) applied to buildings. This is especially important now that building LCA is recognised within the Innovation category of the Green Star building environmental rating tool.

Initial resources available in the framework are focused on the concept and preliminary design of new-build offices with a gross floor area of 1,500 m² or more, located in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

The framework provides information and data for use when carrying out building LCA, environmental indicators for reporting and calculated life cycle environmental indicators for 10 New Zealand reference office buildings which can be used for comparison with building designs. The framework is underpinned by international building sustainability standards.

In addition, an awareness raising/education building LCA tool called LCAQuick – Office has been developed to help stakeholders involved in design to better understand what LCA is, what its outputs are and how to incorporate it into design, without the need to incur significant cost or time. LCAQuick – Office is supported by YouTube training videos and a Help facility.