Decarbonizing architectural acoustics: Assessing the CO2 emissions of acoustic systems in an office building in Milan

Nowadays, the Architectural-Engineering-Construction (AEC) market requests buildings with both low CO2 emissions and high performance across all building disciplines, including architectural acoustic systems, to satisfy design regulations and protocols. However, not all acoustic material systems guarantee both of them. Previous research has suggested that design trade-offs exist when reducing CO2 emissions and achieving high-performing room acoustics but a study on a case study is absent. In response, this paper analyses the carbon data set and material quantities of the acoustic systems of a 7-story office building in Milan, Italy. The data are gathered by outsourcing them from the LCA and further analyzed by considering the technical data sheets of the as-built products. The analysis highlights the important role of acoustics in the total amount of CO2 emissions of the building. In particular, horizontal and vertical partitions have the highest impact due to the large material intensities. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that a performance-based LCA analysis is needed to better evaluate the relationship between acoustic performance and CO2 emissions, with future research needed to understand these complex design trade-offs further.