Building information modeling (BIM) incorporated green building analysis: an application of local construction materials and sustainable practice in the built environment

Traditional methods of construction or remodeling a building uses a tremendous amount of materials that contribute a significant amount of carbon emissions and many of them non-renewable and toxic. The development of building information modeling (BIM) has made it easier to get sustainable building models with its digital construction approach, generating all the required information to support green building assessment throughout the design phases. In this context, an attempt has been made to explore the BIM implementation for green building assessment by considering the availability of local construction materials. As a BIM process, designers used a tool (e.g., Revit 2019) to create different building models where the selected materials and systems were modified within the Revit database. A hypothetical construction of holarchies has been proposed that explores the complex and cross-sectoral link between the materials properties and building configurations. The study examined several building models by considering the local construction materials throughout the design phase. It also supports design reviews and empowers the assessment of embodied energy and carbon footprint for local construction materials that built on the Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) as well as local materials database. The findings show a considerable amount of building energy savings, and also a significant reduction of embodied energy and carbon footprint by using local construction materials. Lastly, to assess the sustainability of the findings, an integrated framework of social, economic, and environmental sustainability has been discussed to promote a comfortable living environment.