Framework for Holistic Life-Cycle Design |
Principal Investigators
MIT: D.Wallace, J.Clark, F.Field
UT: T.Tomiyama
ETH: W.Kroeger
EPFL: D.Favrat
Technological and political systems have had a profound impact on the behavior and consumption patterns of society. Consequently, their design has major environmental and sustainability implications. However, these systems are all intended to fulfill a number of needs and thus sustainability cannot be considered in isolation. Consumer, economic, social, and sustainability needs must be weighed.
Goals/Objectives
The realization of a practicable holistic life-cycle design methodology:
- – To develop a powerful analytical toolbox for concurrent consideration of classical engineering performance measures, manufacturing costs, and environmental metrics within a standard design context.
- – Case study: Application of the holistic design framework in a design tool study related to the automotive industry
Findings/Results
- – Built prototype of framework for holistic design and decision-making tools.
- – Used on studies such as: a co-generative electricity production design tool, linking models at MIT and EPFL; a district heating design tool linking several technology models at EPFL etc.
- Using data from the projector study, tools created using the holistic framework may have the potential to reduce design time by an order of magnitude – in addition to creating the ability to compare and weigh alternatives according to many needs.
- – Further development of the general holistic framework; development of a systematic method for creating parametric life-cycle assessment models; growth of the transportation alternative case study; and outreach to link models from other sustainability projects.
- – The group is developing a case study to assess technological alternatives from a holistic viewpoint. Project team members are developing individual models needed for the case study. The models will be linked using the holistic framework to create an integrated design and decision-making tool.
December 31, 2015
Alliance