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Projects Landscape Residential Landscape Villa Serennia Sustainability
Projects Residential Private Houses Villa Serennia Sustainability

Sustainability Report

Villa Serennia by Padideh Kohan Boom

Embodied carbon

Low Carbon
Carbon Emissions
300
kg CO₂-eq./m²
Carbon Capture
15
kg CO₂-eq./m²

  • Bill of Materials (BoM) — The standard workflow starts from a detailed BoM: quantities (m³ concrete, t steel, m² glazing, m² timber, m³ masonry, insulation m³, etc.). (For this reply, BoM is assumed; we modeled typical composition percentages for villas of this type.)

  • Product unit GWP factors — Each material quantity is multiplied by a GWP factor (kg CO₂-eq. per unit) taken from authoritative sources: product EPDs where available, and recognized LCA databases otherwise. Common references: EPDs, ecoinvent, ICE (Inventory of Carbon & Energy), and national LCA inventories.

  • Summation — Multiply quantities × GWP factors for each material, sum to get total production emissions (cradle-to-gate).

  • Biogenic carbon accounting — For timber elements, the mass of wood is converted to stored carbon (kg C) and then to CO₂-eq. (1 kg C ≈ 3.664 kg CO₂). This is subtracted from production emissions to get net embodied if project accounting permits.

 

  • Reporting unit — Divide total emissions by GFA to obtain kg CO₂-eq. / m².

Operational Emissions / Energy

Low Carbon
Carbon Emissions
40
kg CO₂e/m²

 

  1. Convert EUI to emissions with the grid carbon factor:
    Operational emissions (kg CO₂-eq./m²·yr) = EUI (kWh/m²·yr) × grid intensity (kg CO₂-eq./kWh).

  2. For whole-building annual emissions, multiply by GFA. I show both per-m² and whole building totals.

Afterlife

Adaptive Reuse and Flexible Design Considerations

 

Yes. The villa has been designed with a long-term adaptive reuse strategy in mind. The open-plan floorplates, generous ceiling heights, and clear-span structural system (supported by strategically placed columns rather than load-bearing interior walls) allow for a wide range of future functions beyond its initial residential use. For example, the building could be converted into a boutique retreat, cultural venue, co-living facility, or even office and research space with minimal structural alteration. Service cores have been consolidated to allow maximum flexibility in reconfiguring the layout, while mechanical and electrical systems are modular, making them easier to upgrade or replace in the future.

Disassemblable Elements for Circular Economy

Several building elements were chosen to support a circular economy:

 

  1. Facade and Glazing Systems: The curtain wall and large-format glazing are mounted in demountable frames, enabling glass panels to be removed, refurbished, or recycled rather than demolished.

  2. Timber Overhangs and Cladding: The extended wooden soffits and selected cladding materials are mechanically fixed (not glued), meaning they can be dismantled, refinished, and reused in another context.

  3. Steel Structural Elements: The steel reinforcements and structural components are designed with standardized connections, making them easier to disassemble and reintroduce into new construction cycles.

  4. Interior Partitions: Lightweight partitions are built as dry construction assemblies (gypsum boards on metal studs), which can be fully removed and recycled rather than demolished as waste.

  5. Landscape Elements: Stone paving, green terraces, and modular planting beds can also be lifted and reused, reinforcing the principle of reversibility.