Timber selection for sustainable construction in Bali: integrating Multi-Criteria Life Cycle Assessment (MC-LCA) with vernacular agrospatial wisdom from Balinese architectural manuscripts

Timber selection in traditional Balinese architecture is governed not only by environmental and structural factors but also by cultural logics that connect architecture, kinship, and agroecological cycles. This study introduces a transdisciplinary framework integrating a Multi-Criteria Life Cycle Assessment (MC—LCA) approach with vernacular agrospatial knowledge from classical architectural manuscripts. While informed by life-cycle thinking, the framework does not follow ISO 14040/44 procedural standards but adapts life-cycle awareness into a culturally contextualized evaluative system. Through philological analysis of seven lontar, ethnobotanical validation, and ecological profiling, sixteen priority timber species were identified as historically significant in both sacred and domestic wewangunan. These are evaluated using dual metrics – Ecological Viability Index (EVI) and Cultural – Symbolic Relevance (CSR) – to produce a composite sustainability score and classification model. Findings show that fast-growing, fruit-bearing species align with intergenerational housing traditions, whereas sacred timbers such as Santalum album and Dysoxylum parasiticum exhibit low ecological viability, reflecting tensions between conservation and continuity. The framework aligns vernacular taxonomies with measurable sustainability indices, offering a culturally responsive tool for material specification and insights for tropical timber design. The MC—LCA model underscores the enduring relevance of ancestral construction wisdom in shaping regenerative, low-carbon, and culturally grounded architectural futures.