Analysis and Visualisation of Large Scale Life Cycle Assessment Results: A Case Study on an Adaptive, Multilayer Membrane Façade

David Borschewski (), Tobias Manuel Prenzel, Stefan Albrecht and Philip Leistner
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David Borschewski: Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics (IABP), University of Stuttgart, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Tobias Manuel Prenzel: Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP), 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Stefan Albrecht: Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP), 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Philip Leistner: Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics (IABP), University of Stuttgart, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-26

Abstract: The importance of visualisations in context of life cycle assessment has been widely discussed and acknowledged in the literature. Especially with the increasing ability to process and create large-scale LCA results, visualisations are vital tools to not only analyse and interpret but also check and validate underlying datasets. Based on a dataset containing 1.25 million LCA results for all potential configurations within a defined parameter space, different visualisations and analysis methods were applied to identify hotspots, assess parameter sensitivity, gain insights to optimise environmental sustainability, and provide benchmarks for an adaptive, multilayer membrane façade. Box plots for the identification of hotspots, parameter sensitivity, and benchmarking, as well as colour-coded scatter plots, have proven to be incredibly versatile and effective for understanding the results and providing multiple perspectives to gain further insight. The ability to interact directly with interactive visualisation in order to identify and isolate specific areas of interest allows for a very efficient analysis of the relevant aspects of data. However, the usefulness of the proposed visualisations is not only dependant on the quality and characteristic of the underlying data but also on the objectives and scope of the study, as well as the intended medium illustrating the results.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; adaptive façades; LCA visualisation; sustainable product development; environmental sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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