Evaluate early total carbon in Forma Site Design

Carbon outcomes are shaped from the very first massing move—well before materials are specified or systems are engineered. In this video, you’ll use the Total Carbon analysis in Autodesk Forma Site Design to estimate both embodied and operational carbon for a conceptual design, combining them into a single total carbon picture. Using a high-level workflow, you’ll select a building, assign early definitions such as building type, envelope assemblies, and window-to-wall ratio, and run a cloud-based analysis that reports total carbon, total carbon intensity, and Energy Use Intensity (EUI).

You’ll see how the embodied and operational contributions compare, how the building-lifespan setting changes that balance, and how conceptual carbon insights support better questions, more informed design iteration, and clearer conversations about sustainability goals. 

After completing this video, you’ll be able to:

• Explain why total carbon—embodied plus operational—should be considered during early site and massing studies, before detailed design and material specifications are complete.
• Assign early building definitions in Forma Site Design—such as building type, envelope assemblies, and window-to-wall ratio—and run a Total Carbon analysis on a conceptual design.
• Interpret total carbon results, including the embodied and operational contributions, total carbon intensity, and Energy Use Intensity (EUI).
• Recognize how early total carbon analysis in Forma Site Design connects to deeper carbon and energy workflows in Revit and Autodesk Forma Carbon Insights.