In this way, the framework allows to join the large amount of LCA information with the different phases of design process, setting out in addition the related actors involved and references used. The first key factor of the framework is that quantitative and thus environmental data are collected in relation to the phase of the design process. The second key factor is that they are gradually defined, specified and detailed in conjunction with the process, becoming even more accurate, reliable and corresponding to reality. The third key factor is that LCA information are gathered in every phase of the design process by different actors, empowering therefore designers, contractors and facility managers for the choices and operations taken in their own expertise area. Indeed, these factors are crucial to achieve the following goals: turn LCA into a real supporting tool within the decision-making process of AEC practice and activate the type of mechanisms able to start the process of improvement and optimization of the construction sector in line with life cycle perspective and environmental targets. In addition, it is important to underline that this conceptual framework is developed on the basis of LCA methodology (environmental impacts) but can be easily improved with Life Cycle Costing – LCC methodology (economic impacts) and with greater difficulty with Social Life Cycle Assessment – S-LCA methodology (social impacts).
Life Cycle approach in design process within a BIM-oriented environment
As stated in the last paragraph, the implementation of the life cycle approach in the design process represents one of the challenges of the next years, due to the large contribution of the construction sector to the achievement of the shared sustainable and environmental goals. Undoubtedly, this requires a complex and demanding course of action, emphasized in particular by two factors: the increasingly fragmentation that characterizes the construction field and the fact that the built environment constitutes an unicum strongly influenced by the context. In this perspective, it is important to not reduce the complexity of the construction system assimilating it to standardized industrial products and processes, but rather to consider each system with the related design process in its individuality taking into account the own peculiarities of the case in object.
With this aim and consistently with the trends currently underway in AEC practice, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is identified as the most suitable tool to face the hard task established by the suggested conceptual framework. The same denomination of BIM allows to make clear its potentialities in relation to the requirements previously set by matching LCA and design process. Indeed, the term “Building” concerns the physical characteristics of the model and stresses its capability to virtually recreate the facility considering the project-based tangible features. The term “Information” concerns the intangible characteristics of the model and stresses its capability to organize the set of facility’s data in a meaningful and actionable manner. Lastly, the term “Modelling” concerns the act of shaping, forming, presenting and scoping the facility and stresses its capability to enable multiple stakeholders to collaboratively design, construct and operate the facility. The resulting BIM model is therefore conceived as a database that embedded, display and calculates graphical/tangible and non-graphical/intangible information, linking each other and forming a reliable basis for decisions potentially during the project life cycle. In this way, BIM is perfectly able to fit the proposed conceptual framework and thus to embrace the wide range of information required to develop an LCA study as well as the plurality of actors involved in the process.