The unprecedented growth of cities in Asia will significantly contribute to the massive environmental impact of construction in the next few decades and requires new approaches to design, material sourcing and application. It is consequently essential to look at the overall life cycle of buildings. The data and integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the planning process however are very fragmented, hence this research will develop computational tools allowing designers to make informed design decisions in regard to environmental performance.The design study and LCA tools are catered to promote the application of timber in residential projects in Southeast Asia (SEA), a region with massive urban construction in close proximity to vast forest resources. Timber is a renewable and sustainable material that has vanished from construction in the past century also in SEA and has become an under-utilised resource for construction. A serious reconsideration of timber in construction would contribute to sustainable economic development in local industries, both in the harvesting and processing of wood products. This could further create incentives for sustainable forestry in Southeast Asia, create new jobs and mitigate the threat of deforestation, fire clearings and mono-cultures such as palm oil plantations.
