Nelson Fire Hall
Carbon Wise explored cost and embodied carbon outcomes for a new fire hall by comparing two structural design approaches.
Through whole-building Life Cycle Assessment and cost analysis, we conducted a comparative life cycle and cost study of timber versus concrete designs, revealing how design integration and delivery strategy shaped cost and embodied carbon outcomes more than material choice alone.
Key Takeaways
Material choice alone did not determine cost or carbon outcomes
Timber showed lower carbon intensity in core life cycle stages, but its advantage varied widely depending on modeling assumptions
Cost and embodied carbon responded to different drivers and did not move together
System integration mattered more than whether the structure was timber or concrete
