Introduction ‘The big picture’: environmental impacts of materials
- 90% of global land use – biodiversity loss &
0. SEE THE WHOLE water stress biomass resources used for:
PICTURE food, feedstock, E & materials
- 50% of global climate change impact: 13%
construction materials
- 1/3 air pollution health impacts
Setting the scene: overview: CHAPTERS
1. See the whole picture
2. Lean design & construction
3. Circular design & construction
4. Geo-based & local materials
5. Bio-based materials
Reciprocal landscape DEF = concept where landscape & human interaction influence &
enrich each other
Cheap transport, materials, E cost society & production
Architecture = 50% of all extracted materials & 35% of all solid
waste
Our material economy = (1) linear – (2) circular – (3) doughnut
economy
(1)GDP > = gross domestic product (=
most common measure for size of an
economy)
Demand, population >
Global material use tripled + gl mat
demand 7.4ton 12.2ton / capita
‘Limits of Growth’ 1972:
Material efficiency = reducing
resource use & impacts
(2)To circular economy –
‘Butterfly diagram by EMF’:
design out waste & pollution +
keep products in use +
regenerate natural system
(3)Doughnut economy – Kate Raworth: as a
lens for business transformation creating
a society that can provide enough materials
& services for everyone: that doesn’t
threaten our future security & prosperity
Goal of this framework = to enable societies
to make positive choices and live in balance
thrive econ, social, and environ.
Our construction Embodied impacts of building: caused by: resource extraction and
(material) footprint manufacturing process: production and transportation of raw
materials and the disposal of unused materials offsite
- Embodied carbon 35-50%
- Operational carbon 50-65%
Impacts per building layer: structures=67% - skin= 13% - space=
16% - services= 4%
Product level:
1. EPD= Environ. Product Declaration: information about the
1
, environmental impact of a building material
2. LCA= Life Cycle Analysis: information about the
environmental effect of a material based on Product
Category Rules (PCRs) + based on EPD
RD (material) principles WITH/ FOR (1) nature – (2) places – (3) communities
Terminology: DEF RD = an approach in which human systems are
designed to co-exist and co-evolve with natural systems, ensuring
planetary & social health
(Ecol. loss) Reduce avoid restore regenerate (Ecol., social,
econ. gain)
Ecological gain
1. Restore for embodied off site impacts: engage context-based
landscape management (restore habitats) + support individ.
species recovery program + invest in landscape restoration
2. Regenerate for embodied of site impacts: support additional
nature restoration & regeneration projects
(1)Designing with/ for nature: repairing ecosystems, activist
initiatives, designing with living materials (georespyre), designing
with nature: bio-afflication (= biophilic design), bio-utilization
(=biotechnology), bio-inspiration (= biomomocry)
(2)Designing with/ for places for reciprocal places (steel
making China)
Schulz ‘Genius Loci’: spirit of a place, how architecture can be used
to enhance the unique character & identity of a location
(3) Designing with/ for communities: material activism –
reciprocal places
Anna Heringer work: everything we built should have a social
dimension
R materials framework a positive sustainable development: low (or negative) impacts on
environment and well-being, and instead contributing to the local
economy, supporting environmental remediation and providing for
safe and comfortable solutions for the users and workers
! C1 Common house Bridport Cohousing, Common practice: a hybrid
of load bearing & infill straw bale walls + designing participatory
construction methods alongside the local material supply chains:
pre-fabrication moved on site + assembled + training courses for
a school about: low carbon sustainable building
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