Assessing the Sustainability of Residential Buildings in Kuwait Through Life Cycle Analysis

This paper presents a comprehensive environmental assessment of a residential building in Kuwait, employing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach integrated with Building Information Modelling (BIM). A detailed 3D model of a single-family villa was created in Autodesk Revit, with environmental impacts calculated using the Tally plugin, which connects BIM data to life cycle inventory datasets. The analysis covers the entire life cycle—from raw material extraction to disposal at the end of the building's 60-year lifespan—adopting a cradle-to-grave perspective. Key indicators, such as Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Primary Energy Demand (PED), were carefully examined. Results show that operational energy, especially cooling, accounts for approximately 87.4% of GWP and 91.1% of PED, highlighting the significant influence of climate and energy sources on building sustainability in hot, arid areas. Beyond operational energy, represented emissions from construction materials—particularly concrete and steel—also play a major role in the building's overall environmental impact. Scenario analysis indicated that reducing concrete use by 30% and integrating renewable energy sources at a 50% level could reduce GWP and PED by approximately 47%. These results emphasise the importance of integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) early in the design phase, along with the use of low-carbon materials and energy-efficient systems. Overall, this study supports ongoing efforts to encourage sustainable building practices in hot climates and offers a flexible, clear methodology that can be applied to future research and policy development.