JOKOTAI MATERIAL IMPACT SCREENER NOW READY FOR USE

OOPEAA JOKOTAI is a free online tool for comparing the environmental impact of building materials in the early stage of the design process.

The JOKOTAI Material Impact Screener provides an early assessment tool that makes it possible for designers, clients and all parties involved in the early decision-making process of a building project to better comprehend the impact of alternative material and structural choices on the sustainability of the project. It is a user friendly, web-based platform that enables communication and visualizes sustainability issues in a comprehensible manner. It makes it possible for architects to quickly sketch the building volume of a preliminary design and to compare the environmental impact of alternative material choices to support the early decision-making process. 

After a two-year development process, the beta version of the tool is now finally ready to be shared and tested. It is openly accessible and free to use. During the initial research and development phase, the working name for the tool was the Life Cycle Visualizer. We are thankful for the comments from all our test users who generously devoted their time for testing the tool during the development period.

To use the tool, go HERE.

To learn how the tool is used, you can watch an introduction video HERE.

The biggest share of the total embodied energy in construction comes from production. As architects, it is our responsibility to make informed choices to keep the environmental impact as low as possible. Screening the environmental impact of your design early on can lead to significant reduction of CO2 emissions and to remarkable savings in energy demands. The JOKOTAI tool makes it possible to compare the impact of alternative material choices before nailing down the decision regarding the materials to be used in a new building project under design. 

The tool focuses on screening the CO2 emissions produced, and the energy needed, during the production phase of a building project. It also visualizes the carbon storage in your building design, gives detailed information about different material properties and breaks down the impact into easily understandable bar graphs. The calculation method and sources are made visible to support the learning process and to provide full transparency. The OOPEAA JOKOTAI is designed for laptop or desktop display size.

The JOKOTAI tool is about visualizing and making transparent basic information regarding a building project. The name JOKOTAI is based on the Finnish words “joko – tai” meaning “either – or”. JOKOTAI is not intended as a tool for providing a complete life cycle analysis. Instead, the goal was to create a web based tool to be used in the early stages of design prior to having made decisions that at a later stage will make it possible to perform a full life cycle analysis. 

The JOKOTAI Material Impact Screener has been developed by OOPEAA in partnership with the Obayashi Corporation with support from the Growth and Development from Wood Program coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Finland. 

To learn more about the OOPEAA JOKOTAI Material Impact Screener, see HERE.