Carbon footprint of façades: significance of glass

Arup and Saint-Gobain Glass

Glass and glazing units have an important role to play in the reduction of whole life carbon across the built environment. Façade design decisions must consider the embodied carbon impacts associated with the production, installation and replacement of façades as well as the operational carbon impacts of these choices.

Together with Saint-Gobain Glass, Arup have sought to understand the role of glass within the whole life-cycle carbon emissions of the façade system.

Through parametric analysis of selected design variables, we explored potential ways that both manufacturers and designers can influence and reduce whole life carbon, allowing the industry to be better informed in determining their roadmaps towards decarbonisation.

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