BranchPattern enables estimated 40% embodied carbon reduction in adaptive reuse project using One Click LCA

Adaptive reuse for a lower carbon footprint

BranchPattern, a building science consultancy, recently completed work on a project for a global real estate client. The client had a net-zero target and sought to improve sustainability performance across their portfolio. Their project team worked with BranchPattern to explore how adaptive reuse and low-carbon materials could help meet their goals for a large redevelopment project in the U.S.

BranchPattern is a leading sustainability consultancy, rooted in building science, that works with the real estate industry globally to optimize environmental stewardship and human experience while addressing the environmental, social, and economic issues of a carbon-free future.

"We have been working in the field of sustainability since 1991, and our building scientists and engineers help clients meet their climate goals, earn green building certifications, and develop strategies for decarbonization. In the last five years, our firm has specifically invested in becoming a global leader in accounting for and addressing embodied carbon in the built environment."

-Julia Wattick, Senior Associate and Materials Teams Lead at BranchPattern. 

BranchPattern’s remit for this project was clear: support early-stage design with actionable life-cycle assessment (LCA) insights, evaluate reuse potential of existing building elements, and recommend optimized material choices to achieve the highest possible embodied carbon reduction.

Building science expertise meets data-driven software

Over the past five years, BranchPattern has invested deeply in accounting for and addressing embodied carbon in buildings, infrastructure, and materials. The team supports clients with strategic decarbonization planning, green building certifications, and regulatory alignment.

“We’ve tested multiple LCA tools. Many didn’t offer enough control across life-cycle stages or material breakdowns. With One Click LCA, we could drill into the key decisions that impact embodied carbon.”

-Julia Wattick, Senior Associate and Materials Teams Lead at BranchPattern. 

Adaptive reuse: rethinking design to reduce impact

Initially, the project team considered full demolition. However, after evaluating BranchPattern’s design-stage LCA using One Click LCA and understanding the impact of material selections and alternatives, the project team decided to incorporate adaptive building reuse into the project. 

The team established these key design objectives: 

• To salvage as much of the existing structure as possible in order to prioritize building reuse as an embodied carbon reduction strategy
• To reduce the amount of quantity of new materials via optimization of the concrete mixes and structural design of conventional elements, such as the Slab on Grade
• To optimize the design and material selection of the new building structure and enclosure as well as the project site for maximum reduction 

Before using One Click LCA, BranchPattern turned to various WBLCA and LCA software programs that were limited in providing the full scope required to support their clients, such as life-cycle stages, various building and site elements. Additionally, BranchPattern wasn't able to identify in detail where improvements could be made with informed results. After learning about One Click LCA through conferences, webinars, and word of mouth, BranchPattern switched to the software to better serve its clients on Carbon Reduction Consulting.

"The flexibility offered by One Click LCA’s EPD database and life-cycle stage inputs allowed us greater control over the total project life-cycle impacts, beyond what we had been able to do with previous software."

-Julia Wattick, Senior Associate and Materials Teams Lead at BranchPattern. 

Tapping into One Click LCA's array of tools 

Set on significant building reuse and incorporating new innovative materials for the project, BranchPattern performed a design-level LCA conducted through One Click LCA that helped the team understand the benefits of adaptive reuse on this project. 

 "One Click LCA is very user-friendly, enabling us to train new team members easily. The software also provides comprehensive data breakdowns, which assist with our ability to consult on both specific, product-level information as well as broad, project-level information."

-Julia Wattick, Senior Associate and Materials Teams Lead at BranchPattern. 

To conform to North American industry standards while simultaneously narrowing the search for EPDs within this market, BranchPattern primarily used One Click LCA's Life-cycle Carbon – North America tool, which allows for measuring the carbon impact of projects in the region.

"The software also enabled us to easily identify carbon hotspots throughout using the CO2e % breakdown by material within the Material Input tab and to easily compare different materials to determine the most beneficial options"

-Eliana Peralta-Sapienza, Associate at BranchPattern and LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, EDGE Expert

The solution: Harnessing insights to incorporate building reuse and sustainable materials 

Using One Click LCA's extensive EPD library, BranchPattern was able to offer recommendations on material substitutions to further reduce embodied carbon impact and achieve a significant reduction across the project. 

"We were able to classify the data by assembly type, assembly composition, and stage of life. For this project, the end-of-life stage module D was particularly useful because it helped demonstrate the adaptive reuse benefits. Once the reuse reductions were established, the carbon reductions associated with the volume reductions and low embodied carbon materials were calculated."

-Eliana Peralta-Sapienza, Associate at BranchPattern and LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, EDGE Expert

After the project was completed, BranchPattern utilized the One Click LCA provided Excel data breakdown of impact by project elements and by life cycle stage to efficiently post-process the results into easily digestible graphics.  

Unprecedented results: estimated 40% total embodied carbon reduction 

With the flexibility of features and the wide scope of insights at any scale, One Click LCA allowed BranchPattern to provide more detailed carbon reduction consulting to better meet the goals for this project. The result is a sleek and sustainable design incorporating significant adaptive building reuse, a CLT mezzanine, and low-carbon concrete.

Below are some key metrics for the project:

• 40% estimated total project embodied carbon reduction

• 7% carbon reduction associated with material reuse 

• The adaptive reuse strategy significantly reduced material demand across the project. The team successfully reused 44% of the existing foundation, 100% of the base course, 30% of the existing site pavement, and 62% of the wall concrete and reinforcement. 
• Other strategies included: concrete slab volume reduction via thin slab technology, 18% reduction of the total steel joist and beam weight as compared to industry average design, use of low carbon steel, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete, and use of insulated metal panels in lieu of concrete panels for the portions of the exterior walls, and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) used on new paved areas.

By leveraging LCA from the outset, the team was able to optimize the design for lower carbon impact, validate those reductions upon substantial completion, and quantify the embodied carbon savings achieved through building reuse. 

Looking ahead, BranchPattern is now able to scale alongside its clients with the help of One Click LCA's internal structure and extensive database, as well as its integration with other software. 

Achieve similar results on your next project

Whether you’re pursuing deep carbon reductions through adaptive reuse or material innovation, starting early with a robust LCA tool is critical. One Click LCA offers solutions from concept design through to substantial completion — including regulatory compliance, product selection, and circularity analysis.