4. Modes of use

Eco-design essentially relies on one tool to measure the effect of its choices: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, this tool is gradually being improved in line with experience feedback. More specifically, calculation protocols are becoming more refined, and are getting closer and closer to the actual operating conditions of the construction in its context.

Three stages mark this evolution.

• By its very nature, LCA provides information that can be described as "multi-criteria", since it provides information on the impact of the object analyzed from different points of view. This is known as "attributional" LCA.

• However, since the analysis period covers several decades, it is important to be able to take into account variations in certain parameters over time....