Achieving Net Zero Whole-Life Carbon in Adaptive Reuse: A case study of Saxon Court in Milton Keynes, UK Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Mimi Tam Cardiff University | UK To meet the global target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, the construction industry must decarbonise existing building assets through retrofit and reuse. This study established a framework for using Whole-life Cycle Assessment (WLCA) as a design tool to minimise whole-life carbon (WLC) and achieve Net Zero Carbon by considering a range of design variables and levels of reuse. The study evaluated the embodied and operational carbon of the adaptive reuse of Saxon Court, an office building built in the 1980s. The assessment consisted of two components: WLC optioneering and sensitivity analysis. The WLC optioneering compared adaptive reuse (retrofit plus new build) with full demolition and new build. The sensitivity analysis examined key variables affecting WLC, including energy efficiency strategies, recycled steel content, concrete mix, flooring materials, material transport distance and building lifespan.While the results are specific to Saxon Court, the WLCA framework can be applied to other projects. The study also highlights how key variables can be optimised in building reuse to achieve greater WLC reduction than new build. The outcome of the study not only demonstrates the importance of reusing existing buildings but also evidences the viability of achieving Net Zero Carbon in building reuse. Tutor(s) Eleni Ampatzi