An open, evidence-based framework for defensible and sustainable digital architecture decisions.
SDAF provides a structured methodology for integrating sustainability into the design, evaluation, governance and assurance of digital systems. It connects environmental evidence to architectural decision-making without replacing the authority of applicable standards, regulations, certification schemes or specialist methods.
Published release: Version 1.0, September 2026
Canonical record: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22899663
All versions: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22899662
Digital sustainability decisions are often made using incomplete boundaries, inconsistent units, isolated metrics or evidence that cannot be reproduced. Sustainability may be considered too late, treated as a reporting activity or separated from architecture, procurement, engineering, operations and governance.
SDAF addresses this by providing a common architecture for:
- defining the decision, scope and applicable requirements;
- establishing comparable boundaries and functional units;
- converting data into traceable, decision-grade evidence;
- evaluating uncertainty, confidence and decision stability;
- integrating lifecycle impacts and circularity without double counting;
- recording defensible decisions and their conditions;
- applying independent governance and assurance; and
- scaling implementation and evidence exchange across organizations.
Every SDAF assessment follows the same controlled lifecycle:
| Phase | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Orient | Define the decision, scope, requirements, stakeholders and proportionality. |
| Baseline | Establish the system boundary, functional unit, reference flow and current state. |
| Evaluate | Generate evidence, assess uncertainty and compare architectural alternatives. |
| Architect | Apply decision logic, select or classify the outcome, and record rationale and conditions. |
| Assure | Verify conformity, evidence integrity and continuing decision stability. |
SDAF is organized into eight connected Parts:
| Part | Role |
|---|---|
| Part I — Foundations | Establishes purpose, principles, terminology, applicability and normative structure. |
| Part II — Lifecycle | Controls each assessment through the five-phase lifecycle. |
| Part III — Measurement | Defines boundaries, evidence quality, methods, uncertainty, confidence and traceability. |
| Part IV — Decision-Making | Tests evidence sufficiency and stability and produces a defensible decision record. |
| Part V — Lifecycle and Circularity | Integrates lifecycle burdens and circularity benefits while preserving accounting integrity. |
| Part VI — Governance and Assurance | Defines oversight, independence, conformance and assurance requirements. |
| Part VII — Enterprise Operationalization | Embeds SDAF into roles, systems, controls, capability and operating cadence. |
| Part VIII — Ecosystem Interoperability | Enables controlled evidence exchange across organizational and methodological boundaries. |
The Parts remain distinct, but their outputs become controlled inputs to the work that follows. Assurance findings and implementation evidence support feedback, learning and continuous improvement across the framework.
| If you are... | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|
| An executive or institutional stakeholder | Read the Executive Summary and One-Page Overview. |
| An architect, engineer or practitioner | Begin with the Reader's Guide, then Parts I–IV. |
| A sustainability or lifecycle specialist | Review Parts III and V and the associated annexes. |
| A governance, risk or assurance practitioner | Review Parts I, IV and VI. |
| Responsible for enterprise adoption | Review Part VII. |
| A standards body, scheme owner or external collaborator | Review Parts VIII and Annex VIII-A. |
| Evaluating or implementing SDAF | Consult the conformance model in Annex IV-C. |
The complete Version 1.0 framework and editable source are available from the Zenodo publication record.
This repository is the living public home for SDAF. It is intended to support:
- access to the published framework and supporting collateral;
- transparent issue reporting and technical discussion;
- implementation guidance, templates and worked examples;
- interoperability mappings and pilot materials;
- proposals for future versions; and
- a traceable public change process.
The repository does not silently modify the published v1.0 release. The files preserved under the v1.0 Zenodo DOI remain the authoritative record of that version.
Except where otherwise indicated, original SDAF material is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
You may copy, redistribute and adapt the licensed material, including for commercial purposes, provided that the applicable licence conditions are satisfied. Adaptations must indicate that changes were made and must not imply sponsorship, endorsement, certification or official status.
References to or material derived from external standards, legislation, certification schemes, datasets, trademarks and other third-party sources remain subject to the rights and terms of their respective owners. See the framework's Copyright and Licence section and LICENSE.md for details.
The following materials provide different entry points into SDAF v1.0:
- One-Page Overview — a concise introduction to SDAF and its principal components
- Executive Summary — the purpose, audience, application and organizational value of SDAF
- Reader’s Guide — navigation pathways for different roles and interests
- Quick Start Guide — practical guidance for conducting a first SDAF assessment
- Introducing SDAF v1.0 — a visual briefing on the framework
- SDAF Diagram Library — the principal SDAF diagrams in one reference set
The complete normative framework is maintained as a permanent, citable publication:
SDAF is open for implementation, critical review and evidence-based improvement.
Permission to reuse or adapt SDAF does not by itself establish conformity with SDAF.
Any public claim that an activity, implementation or result conforms to SDAF should identify:
- the scope of the claim;
- the applicable SDAF requirements;
- exclusions, conditions or limitations;
- the version of SDAF used; and
- the documented basis for the claim.
The published conformance model in Annex IV-C is the reference point for evaluating such claims. Repository participation, use of SDAF materials or contribution to this project does not constitute certification or endorsement.
Please cite the specific release used:
du Toit, Raymond. (2026). Sustainable Digital Architecture Framework (SDAF) (Version 1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22899663
Suggested attribution:
Sustainable Digital Architecture Framework, Version 1.0, Raymond du Toit, 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22899663
Citation metadata will also be provided in CITATION.cff.
SDAF is being shared openly so that practitioners, researchers, standards bodies, scheme owners and technology communities can test it, challenge it and improve its practical value.
Useful contributions include:
- identification of normative ambiguity or inconsistency;
- implementation experience and evidence;
- mappings to standards, schemes and specialist methods;
- worked examples and reusable templates;
- accessibility and editorial corrections;
- proposed interoperability patterns; and
- documented proposals for future versions.
Please use GitHub Issues for focused feedback. Before proposing a change, consult CONTRIBUTING.md. Substantial changes will be evaluated through the documented versioning process rather than incorporated directly into the frozen v1.0 release.
The initial post-publication priorities are:
- independent technical and practitioner review;
- a cross-layer proof of concept spanning facilities, infrastructure and software;
- development of implementation templates and worked examples;
- alignment with relevant standards, certification schemes and professional communities; and
- evidence-based preparation of a future v1.1 release.
SDAF was created by Raymond du Toit and released openly to encourage broad use, scrutiny and collaborative improvement.
The long-term objective is responsible, transparent and community-oriented stewardship. No organization is currently implied to sponsor, certify or govern SDAF unless expressly stated in an official project record.
SDAF Version 1.0 is licensed under CC BY 4.0, except where otherwise indicated.
Copyright © 2026 Raymond du Toit.