Evaluation of Challenges and Solutions for Reducing Embodied Energy in Sustainable Architecture: A Systematic Review of Recent Trends

The growing focus on operational energy efficiency in the building sector has revealed a critical gap in addressing embodied impacts, leading Embodied Energy (EE) and Embodied Carbon (EC) to become the dominant source of life-cycle emissions in energy-efficient buildings. This paper evaluates the critical challenges and strategic solutions necessary for effective EE reduction in sustainable architecture. This evaluation is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) covering a corpus of highly relevant academic publications from ۲۰۱۸-۲۰۲۵ focused on EE, EC, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The data were processed using qualitative content analysis to synthesize patterns of barriers and enablers. The findings reveal persistent methodological difficulties, particularly the high variability in Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data and inconsistent system boundary definitions, as major challenges limiting consistency and scalability. Key strategic solutions center on leveraging the high reduction potential available during the early design stage. These solutions rely heavily on digital workflows, specifically the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with LCA tools for automated design optimization and material efficiency. To translate these insights into actionable change, there is an urgent and critical need for the development and adoption of standardized, regionalized databases and consistent LCA methodologies across the AECO sector.

کلیدواژه ها:

Embodied Energy ، Life Cycle Assessment ، Sustainable Architecture ، Early-stage Design ، BIM Integration ، Data Standardization