To demo or not demo? Demonstrating the environmental benefits of conversion over demolition
Summary
The Place 800 project in Calgary focused on converting an underutilized property into multi-unit residential housing, rather than opting for demolition and rebuilding.
Adaptis assessed the embodied carbon emissions of 18 design variations, all of which met the stringent ZCB-Design Standard V3 requirements.
The conversion approach reduced GHG emissions by 67% compared to a new build scenario, with additional offsets achieved through material recovery, resulting in total emissions of 135 kgCO2e/m².
Building Information
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Building Use: Office to Multi-Unit Residential conversion
Year Built: 1959
Number of Buildings: 1
The developer behind this project is committed to offering attainable housing in prime neighborhoods by converting underutilized properties rather than opting for demolition and new construction. For this project, the clients wanted to quantify and demonstrate the environmental benefits of their decision to convert the building instead of demolishing and rebuilding it. They pursued compliance with the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard Version 3 (ZCB-Design v3), specifically focusing on Embodied Carbon Strategy 1, which requires embodied emissions to be less than or equal to 350 kgCO2e/m².
Challenge
Demonstrating the environmental impact of conversion over demolition is complex, requiring a detailed analysis to ensure compliance with stringent sustainability standards. Without a conversion approach, the project could face higher GHG emissions, increased costs, and missed opportunities to showcase environmental leadership.
Summary of Targets
The scope included assessing the embodied carbon emissions of the proposed design and evaluating the savings achieved by opting for conversion over demolition and new construction. The client’s motivation was to meet the ZCB-Design Standard V3 and highlight the environmental benefits of their approach.
Results
All 18 design variations comply with the ZCB-Design Standard V3 Impact and Innovation embodied carbon target of 350 kgCO2e/m2
GHG emissions are reduced by 67% through a conversion scenario as compared to a demolition and new build scenario
By recovering and reusing the demolished elements from the existing building (stage D in LCA stages), an additional 73 kgCO2e/m2 of GHG emissions can be offset, resulting in total embodied carbon emissions of 135 kgCO2e/m2, well below the ZCB impact and innovation target of 350 kgCO2e/m2.
Adaptis Advantage
Adaptis provided a comprehensive embodied carbon assessment, enabling the client to make informed decisions that supported their sustainability goals within . By leveraging advanced methodologies, Adaptis demonstrated significant GHG reductions through conversion, translating these savings into tangible environmental and cost benefits for the client.