Life Cycle Assessments

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Assess Early. Reduce Impact. Achieve Net Zero.

What is LCA?

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to measure a building’s environmental impact across its entire lifecycle - from material extraction and construction to use, maintenance, and eventual demolition. It identifies where carbon and other environmental impacts occur, helping you make informed decisions to reduce your building’s footprint.

Our Approach

At Mainer Associates, we help you design low-carbon buildings from day one. Using One Click LCA software, we measure a building’s environmental impact across its entire lifecycle.

We work with your team from brief to concept design, assessing each RIBA stage to:

  • Reduce embodied carbon of materials without extra cost or compromising quality

  • Ensure solutions are technically viable and programme neutral

  • Maintain building performance and meet client expectations

We aim to deliver a clear as-designed carbon position before tender, giving you actionable insights to make sustainable decisions.

Our services also include support for the GLA’s Whole Life-Cycle Assessment (WLC) guidance, including completion of the WLC template, helping clients meet the new planning conditions of the London Plan.

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RIBA Stages

Why LCA Matters

  • Meet regulatory standards: RICS, BREEAM, and London Plan WLC requirements.

  • Pursue net zero carbon: identify and reduce embodied carbon early in the design process.

  • Support BREEAM certification: ensure your project ticks all the sustainability boxes.

Why Choose Mainer Associates?

  • Expertise with cutting-edge tools: our One Click LCA software ensures precise, transparent results.

  • Integrated into the design process: we collaborate closely with your team to influence design decisions early.

  • Regulatory and certification compliance: assessments are aligned with RICS, BREEAM, and GLA WLC requirements.

  • Actionable insights: clear guidance on reducing embodied carbon while meeting project objectives.

Whether you are planning a new building, preparing for BREEAM certification, or addressing London Plan planning conditions, our Life Cycle Assessment services provide the evidence and guidance to make informed, sustainable choices. Contact Mainer Associates today to explore how we can help you achieve your sustainability and net zero carbon goals.

Whole Life Carbon Assessment Experience

  • Urban scene with a modern glass office building, a winding brick-paved walkway, greenery, and streetlights under a partly cloudy sky.

    2 Colmore Square, Birmingham

    Commercial

  • Modern building entrance with glass walls, large metal columns, and a landscaped front area with plants. People are walking and standing outside.

    2 Wellington Place, Leeds

    Commercial

  • A modern multi-story building with a grid-like facade, viewed from a city street. The street has a green decorative bridge with pedestrians crossing, and there are trees and other buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

    9 Wellington Place, Leeds

    Commercial

  • Facade of a pink and brick multi-story hotel with large arched windows on the ground floor and rectangular windows on the upper floors. There are people walking on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.

    9-12 New College Parade, London

    Hotel

  • Urban park with green grass, young trees, and outdoor seating, surrounded by modern glass office buildings and a historic stone building, under a partly cloudy blue sky.

    11 & 12 Wellington Place, Leeds

    Commercial

  • An outdoor courtyard with a red and white canopy tent, picnic tables underneath, surrounded by landscaped greenery and trees, with a modern multi-story building in the background.

    Belvidere School, Shrewsbury

    Education

  • Modern university building with white panels and glass windows, with a blue sky background.

    BIOS Building, Teesside University

    Education

  • Exterior of Bluecoat Academy building with blue and brick facade, large glass windows, and a sign reading 'Bluecoat Academy'.

    Bluecoat Trent Academy, Nottingham

    Education

  • A modern, four-story building with a curved, yellow exterior and large glass windows, situated on a busy city street with pedestrians and parked cars.

    Central Teaching Laboratory, University of Sheffield

    Education

  • Night view of a modern building with colorful neon lights outlining its edges, with trees and street lights in the foreground.

    Digital Life, Teesside University

    Education

  • A modern multi-story building with brick and concrete exterior, large windows, and a rooftop terrace, situated on a street with pedestrians and cyclists.

    Douglas House, Reigate

    Commercial

  • Aerial view of a school under construction with a large building, outdoor sports fields including a football field, and surrounding residential neighborhood with houses and trees.

    Florence MacWilliams Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

    Education

  • A rendering of a modern residential complex featuring multiple pink brick buildings with balconies, surrounded by a landscaped courtyard with trees, walkways, and people walking.

    Kirkstall Road, Leeds

    Residential

  • Rendering of a modern multi-story brick and glass building on a city street corner, with people walking and cars parked and driving by.

    The Langfield, London

    Commercial

  • Modern cityscape with colorful glass high-rise buildings and pedestrians walking in a plaza

    NOMA - 2 Angel Square, Manchester

    Commercial

  • A large modern school campus with multiple buildings equipped with solar panels, a sports field with soccer and basketball courts, surrounding greenery, and parking lots.

    Northumberland College, Ashington

    Education

  • Modern glass high-rise building with multiple tiers and trees in the foreground, as seen during sunset or dusk.

    Nottingham Trent University - Art & Design Building

    Education

  • Rendering of the Huddersfield Museum and Art Gallery facade, with people walking and standing outside on a cloudy day.

    Our Cultural Heart, Huddersfield

    Commercial

  • People walking and sitting outdoors in front of a modern, multi-story building with large windows and green landscaping.

    Project Newton, Cambridge

    Commercial

  • A cityscape featuring two modern buildings with glass and dark frameworks adjacent to a green park with walking paths, trees, a water feature, and people enjoying outdoor activities on a sunny day.

    The Republic, Mayfield - Manchester

    Commercial

  • Modern building with metal and brick exterior, with people walking and biking outside on sunny day, surrounded by greenery and trees.

    South Cambridge Science Centre, Dales Manor - Cambridge

    Commercial

  • A digital rendering of an outdoor area with silhouettes of people, including children, near a brick building with a sign that reads 'Benton Springdale Ambulance'.

    Sutton Bonington, Loughborough

    Education

  • Modern high-rise apartment buildings along a city waterfront, with a pedestrian bridge and trees, under a blue sky.

    Whitehall Riverside, Leeds

    Commercial

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Linking LCA to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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Sustainable development is a necessity.

Click here to understand more about how the SDGs align with LCA assessments.

LCA News

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