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As the built environment becomes a central focus in the fight against climate change, understanding the carbon footprint of buildings—especially heritage structures—has become increasingly essential. This study presents a detailed carbon analysis of the Eduljee Dinshaw Building, a historic landmark in Karachi, using Autodesk Revit Insight. The goal is to evaluate both embodied and operational carbon emissions, offering guidance for sustainable restoration that respects architectural legacy while reducing environmental impact.
Carbon Analysis in Autodesk Insight enables architects and conservationists to simulate and evaluate the lifecycle carbon footprint of a building by assessing both operational energy use and embodied carbon—the emissions generated through material production and construction processes. When integrated into Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) workflows, it offers data-driven support for sustainable decision-making, especially in retrofitting heritage structures.
Embodied Carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with material extraction, manufacturing, transport, and installation—everything that happens before a building is even used. In heritage projects, these emissions are critical, as restoration often involves material-intensive retrofits with limited flexibility due to conservation constraints.
This emphasizes the need to prioritize material selection and reuse strategies in heritage conservation to reduce environmental impact.
As shown in the analysis:
Optimization of exterior walls and slabs offers the greatest opportunity for embodied carbon reduction.
These top four systems account for 90% of total embodied carbon—pointing to key areas for carbon-conscious retrofitting in future restoration efforts.
Even elements categorized under “No Insulation” contributed measurable emissions—highlighting the importance of accurate modeling and data entry in HBIM workflows.
Conversely, Passive Floors and R-0 Frame Walls show carbon intensities under 10%, indicating lower priority for intervention.
This metric allows project teams to compare and prioritize retrofits based on area-specific impact rather than total emissions alone.
Energy Use Intensity (EUI) measures annual energy consumption per square meter. In the Eduljee Dinshaw Building, Revit Insight calculated an EUI of 604.08 kWh/m²/year (Figure 4.27). The analysis indicates:
This high EUI stresses the need for operational energy upgrades alongside embodied carbon interventions.
The carbon and energy analysis of the Eduljee Dinshaw Building demonstrates how integrating HBIM with Autodesk Insight empowers heritage architects to make informed, sustainable decisions. By identifying high-impact materials and systems, conservation teams can prioritize low-carbon interventions that preserve architectural integrity while significantly lowering environmental impact.
This case study proves that heritage conservation and climate responsibility are not at odds—they can work hand in hand through smart, data-driven planning.
