Developed by: Kritika Kharbanda Support: Aakrity Madhan, Adam Yarnell
This study was conducted as part of the course GSD-6338: Introduction to Computational Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design during the Fall of 2020, instructed by Prof. Jose Luis Garcia del Castillo y Lopez. The paper will be presented at Public Play Place Symposium: https://www.publicplayspace.eu/symposium/
ABSTRACT The building industry alone contributes to 39% of worldwide global carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions divided into operational and embodied carbon. Operational carbon comprises the emissions from active building processes, while embodied carbon includes the emissions from building materials. The associated operational carbon has been reduced through the advancements in buildings, but the embodied carbon remains static. Embodied carbon is intangible to building occupants, yet it can contribute up to 49% of life-cycle emissions. In this paper, we present Carbon Crunch, an augmented reality game that educates individuals on the environmental impacts of building materials and empowers them to make better decisions. The game employs the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of building components as a key metric and allows users to swap out assemblies for maximizing carbon savings in a virtual building. Adopting the game in existing and newly developed public spaces can help propel sustainability to greater social prominence. This project aims to encourage communities and governments to embrace green material choices, thus facilitating sustainable urban development.