Carbon Optioneering
Helping project teams make informed carbon decisions from the earliest stages of design.
Di Marco Carbon provides practical carbon optioneering services to help project teams understand the carbon implications of design, material and development decisions. By comparing options at an early stage, opportunities can be identified to reduce carbon, improve performance and support project objectives.
Carbon optioneering can provide valuable insight throughout the design process, helping teams evaluate alternative solutions before decisions become difficult or expensive to change.
Technical Approach
Every project presents different challenges and opportunities. Carbon optioneering is therefore focused on providing clear, proportionate and evidence-based analysis that supports informed decision-making.
Assessments and option studies are undertaken using recognised industry guidance, including:
RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment (2nd Edition)
Greater London Authority (GLA) Whole Life-Cycle Carbon guidance
UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
LETI guidance and embodied carbon benchmarks
Relevant Local Planning Authority policies and requirements
Industry best-practice carbon reduction strategies and standards
Analysis is typically undertaken using One Click LCA, alongside project-specific benchmarking, modelling and option comparison studies, helping project teams understand the carbon implications of alternative design and development strategies.
When Might Carbon Optioneering Be Required?
Carbon performance is becoming an increasingly important consideration in assessing the feasibility, design and overall performance of developments. Planning policy and project-specific requirements are placing greater emphasis on understanding and quantifying the carbon impacts of proposed developments, including the consideration of alternative development scenarios and design approaches.
Alongside these requirements, clients and project teams are increasingly seeking to optimise the sustainability performance of their projects, making carbon optioneering an important consideration from the earliest stages of design, including initial feasibility studies.
Carbon optioneering can provide valuable insight throughout a project's development, helping teams understand the implications of key decisions before they become fixed.
Optioneering studies are commonly undertaken to support:
Early-stage concept design
Structural and material optioneering
Embodied carbon reduction strategies
Retention versus redevelopment assessments
Retrofit and refurbishment optioneering
Planning submissions and carbon statements
Design development and decision-making
Net Zero Carbon strategies
Sustainability targets and commitments
Development appraisals and feasibility studies
Investor and stakeholder requirements
Low-carbon design strategies
Comparison of alternative development scenarios
Evaluation of different structural systems, materials and building configurations
Let’s Discuss Your Project
Whether you're looking for a whole-life carbon assessment, planning support, BREEAM consultancy or early-stage carbon advice, I'd be happy to discuss how Di Marco Carbon can support your project.