Embodied Carbon Calculator / LCA for landscape

[Poot]

I am just wondering if anyone here has worked with the VECC or done Life Cycle Analysis using VW/Landmark?

There is some material and tutorials online, but its geared towards architecture (lots of talk on windows) and with very little adaptation to the negative carbon aspects of vegetation. The VECC tool looks promising, as it allows material properties to be used for carbon budgeting...but perhaps could use a landmark specific format.

Anyhow, hoping someone here has some experience with this under their belt 🙂


Cheers

POOT

 

[rDesign]

I have not used it, but a quick google search came up with the web application ‘Pathfinder’ which seems geared toward estimating the carbon footprint and time to carbon neutrality for landscape projects.

Pathfinder: Landscape Carbon Calculator

[Poot]

12 hours ago, rDesign said:

I have not used it, but a quick google search came up with the web application ‘Pathfinder’ which seems geared toward estimating the carbon footprint and time to carbon neutrality for landscape projects.

Pathfinder: Landscape Carbon Calculator

I've used that a little, and it is pretty good for early phase to help make design choices as well as very easy to use -- but it is more of a guideline since its not directly linked to specific products, materials, and plants. I think it's good to help make better choices, but wouldn't be enough to use with clients for many projects.

I am more thinking about adjustments to tools like the Energos/VECC tools in VW architect packages which use your resources/material information to make exact calculations, but tailored to Landmark. It may be some Landscape architects have used the existing worksheets for our hardscape/landscape areas and fixtures/furnishings....but I haven't been able to find anything.

 

Maybe @Luka Stefanovic has a better idea?


ArchiCAD has a nice plugin for Life-Cycle Analysis, Design LCA which would be something to shoot for. I think there are also similar options for REVIT, as these are becoming very valuable/necessary tools for many projects.

 

 

[Marketa Hermova]

Hello @Poot,

 

I used the VECC calculator for a landscape restoration project. I had numerous features, such as a wall garden that needed a complete re-design. As part of a design proposal we looked at various ways to work with historic features while proposing the new layout. We were able to calculate the EC for all major structures and evaluate different scenarios. 

 

It really depends on a project's specifications and what do you need the EC for. Is it for the internal decisions, is it for a planning application (meaning you need to submit calculated figures)?

 

Feel free to get in touch with more questions 🙂 

 

Marketa

[Luka Stefanovic]

Hi @Poot

 

The VECC can be used in any industry or project really, and the latest version (2024) has no Door/Window section, only Materials and individual objects, which are handled through Record Formats. In short, if you assign Materials to Vectorworks objects their quantities will be calculated automatically in the worksheet and EC obtained based on Material property (such as density and EC factor). Additionally you can attach a Record Format to any object that has a manufacturer's EPD data, say a bench Symbol in your model, you can add declared EC for the bench as a product and the worksheet will count how many of those are there in your project and tell you the total EC for all benches. 

In terms of negative carbon, you would simply enter a negative value for the EC in the Material property and the calculation would take that into account. 

I hope that makes sense, but to repeat - VECC is really adaptable to handle different projects as it is based on model quantities of Materials and Material properties, the only reason it has an architectural flavour in the presentation is because I am an architect! 

[Poot]

Thanks for the info @Marketa Hermova. I am thinking of this, at the moment, more useful as an early-stage tool and for client presentations where it can be used to support arguments for various design choices. However, here in Denmark LCA(ECC) analysis is now required for all new building projects, and I can see that it won't be something required for landscape architects but probably desired.

 

I will set up some sample/concept materials that are populated with the right information so I can use it on some sample projects, or perhaps used in future template/resource files. I am going to be doing some training for a large consultancy that is switching to VW, but to convince other firms this tool will be a good selling point.

 

 

@Luka Stefanovic, do you know if there is any further development planned on this tool? I think it is definitely very useful as is, but am wondering if there might be improvements in terms of graphics/report output, and automation for materials entry (e.g. populating the list automatically with material quantities in use from project/model)? I think it is probably a lot of work to go from the current VECC to add some of these features (like LCA plugin below for archicad), but surely something that is going to be increasingly important especially for architects as LCA/ECC becomes required in more locations.

 

Edited January 18, 2024 by Poot

[Marketa Hermova]

Hi @Poot,

 

Building your own library with custom Materials (and EC values) that you use regularly in your projects is a great start. I believe there are around 400 materials in VW Libraries ( @Luka Stefanovic correct me if I am wrong) that you can customise further by adding data and saving them in your own User Library.

 

It would be interesting to see a landscape project example from Denmark and your approach on how do you use VECC!

[Poot]

Back on the topic actively now, and going to build up a simple library of materials since I am doing a large product database from EPD's for my office (I am currently the only person using VW, and not officially for our projects).

I am just wondering if either @Luka Stefanovic or @Marketa Hermova know if the 60 year RICS lifespan makes a difference for general calculations outside of the B4-phase replacement cycle, and if there is any way to change this lifespan?

In Denmark (and scandinavia/Germany) we are on a 50-year lifespan for LCA calculations. For my examples, we are just covering A1-A3, B4 plus C3-C4. 

The use case for my office will start for early phase, mostly with large-scale and masterplan sized projects and mostly on landscape side of things. Adding the relevant EPD data to the materials aspect is fairly straight-forward - but it would be nice to avoid any miscalculations!

Thanks in advance 🙂

Edited May 5, 2025 by Poot

[Luka Stefanovic]

Hi @Poot 

 

no the only affected stage would be B4 replacement - for example you could replace plasterboard twice on a 50-year lifespan and 3 times on a 60-year lifespan. That's the only stage where you might see changes in the assessment regarding the shorter lifespan. This could be changed in the worksheet, but it's a bit tricky to do. Essentially you wouldn't be changing the lifespan but the frequency of replacements. 

The good news is that this will be much easier to edit in the next version, with the new and automated Embodied Carbon Calculator coming out as part of the Sustainability Dashboard in Vectorworks 2026.

[Laura Stone]

My understanding is that excavations, which are almost inevitable in a landscape project, have by far the highest carbon impact so perhaps cut and fill would need to be worked in.  I think choice of materials in the landscape is almost inconsequential compared to that.

 

Laura

[Poot]

On 5/15/2025 at 7:06 PM, Luka Stefanovic said:

The good news is that this will be much easier to edit in the next version, with the new and automated Embodied Carbon Calculator coming out as part of the Sustainability Dashboard in Vectorworks 2026.

Hi @Luka Stefanovic, I have been taking a look at the new VECC tool through the sustainability dashboard, and have some initial questions on adjusting the C3-C4 values. I am working with specific EPDs, many of which provide C3-C4 data that is different than the standard value from RICS used by the calculator (see below). I have tried adjusting the values by attaching an Embodied Carbon record sheet, but it does not change the EC Factor for these phases.

The new interface is a huge improvement! 



 

Attaching and adjusting the record seems to change the waste percentage, but not EC factor for C3-C4.

[Luka Stefanovic]

@Poot Glad you feel like it's a big improvement! Hopefully we can carry on with the good work and continue to make this tool even better!

That EC factor in the Record Format is for product stage only, the end of life EC factor can be changed in the settings in the top right corner. 

Though I'm assuming this won't do what you're after as it will apply another value to all materials.

Would you mind sharing one of the EPDs you mention, perhaps this can be one of the next improvements!

[Poot]

2 hours ago, Luka Stefanovic said:

@Poot Glad you feel like it's a big improvement! Hopefully we can carry on with the good work and continue to make this tool even better!

That EC factor in the Record Format is for product stage only, the end of life EC factor can be changed in the settings in the top right corner. 

Though I'm assuming this won't do what you're after as it will apply another value to all materials.

Would you mind sharing one of the EPDs you mention, perhaps this can be one of the next improvements!

 

Thanks for the input @Luka Stefanovic! Yes, its a big improvement in terms of ease of use compared to the VECC worksheet, and hit many of the points i made last january when comparing with a similar tool for ArchiCAD.

Yes, it would be essential to have the flexibility in the 'end of life' (C3+C4) values, since they can vary a lot - and thus have a big impact on the final numbers. I think its a relatively simple fix - just another entry/field for these numbers in material properties or within VECC. Otherwise it makes it difficult to use when those numbers are used to make calculations.

Here are some examples showing variation in End of Life (C3-C4 combined). I also attached some EPDs

Wood boards:


Concrete pavers:

 

Asfalt:




 

Kebony Clear - Norway_NEPD-3659-2604g.pdf AB 6t 70-100 - Colas - Denmark.pdf

Edited October 10, 2025 by Poot

[Poot]

Hi @Luka Stefanovic,

Just a question:

how likely is there to be an update on that functionality in the near future?

I helped build an early phase LCA tool for landscape outside of VW which makes use of 80+ EPD's and was meaning to put all of the data into a template with materials and things like hardscapes within VW to share publicly - which would be useful for many working in Northern Europe/Scandinavia but I can't really do that without the C3-C4 phases since that is a part of most LCA analyses. Everything else in the VECC tool seems to be there (A1-A3, transportation, replacement, etc) - so its a small hurdle.

I put a request in wishlist - but thought its worth asking since this is a 'hot topic' - especially in Denmark.

Cheers


 

[Luka Stefanovic]

@Poot I have submitted this improvement and am currently discussing implementation. I'll keep you in the loop but it sounds like it will be added in the next version (2027). If you have any other feedback or ideas for improvement, please let me know and I'll pass them on.

[Poot]

7 hours ago, Luka Stefanovic said:

@Poot I have submitted this improvement and am currently discussing implementation. I'll keep you in the loop but it sounds like it will be added in the next version (2027). If you have any other feedback or ideas for improvement, please let me know and I'll pass them on.

OK - great! 

I will take a deeper dive into the tool to make sure no other critical points are missing, but from what I recall, you can set custom A1-A3 (production) and transportation values for each material, along with other phases which is good. In addition to having per-material C3-C4 to make it usable, it might be worth looking into adding phase D - which allows us to really take circularity into account. It might be worth having a conversation on what categories are NOT important to have (e.g. B2-maintenance is a large component of landscape CO2 emissions).

There is a good possibility I might be jumping in on a large LCA for landscape project (creating a tool and dataset for the industry) in the near future, so I will be able to chime in with some specific pointers beyond what I have mentioned.

[Luka Stefanovic]

@Poot Yes Phase D is on my list for research, I'm hoping to have that sometime in the future. B2 maintenance is also something we want to look at adding at some point.

It would be great to hear your feedback and lessons learned from that large landscape project, I'm sure there will be valuable things we could implement in VECC.

Thank you!