Research : Materials

 

Materials Research

One of the aims of my project is sustainability and my theme is primitivism so materials has huge impact on these .

A & B blocks going to build by :

Unfired earth / clay bricks

Unfired brick includes same ingredients with normal fired bricks however without frying and this .

It used to be handmade but now it can be manufacturer differences are handmade can  be different sizes each time , it lighter and take more time to produce however machine made unfired bricks are heavier , denser and take less time to produce.

Fired bricks are much common in Britain but cause significant  source of carbon dioxide emissions than unfired bricks . Unfortunately there is not many examples in in United Kingdom however some of the universities such as Bath researching and developing earth unfired bricks for construction .

I am going to use this material in my project because this material is highly sustainable because offers low energy alternative while producing and includes natural elements such as clay and water. In addition unfired earth bricks has ability to regulate moisture which is common problem in United Kingdom  , thermal mass  performance which is store indoor temperatures for heating and cooling (Arasteh, n.d.) and also can provide insulation  (Woolley, 2006). Also unfried bricks has much more flexibility. (Arasteh, n.d.)

Lime

 For whole structures masonry I am going to use lime reasons for this decisions are , affordable ,naturally breathing , less energy to produce , soft  and elastic , keep moisture away , general feature of protects from decay and insect attack and finally lower carbon emissions and most importantly sustainable (Woolley, 2006) . 

 Timber

Timber is one of the most natural element for construction I am going to use this material part of the exterior cladding  and it is suitable for unfried bricks because most of the timber buildings between timbers used earth and clay kinds fillings among straws or isolation materials and with lime between timber and bricks it is going to be secured due to keeping moisture away , protection from decay and insect attack .  (Woolley, 2006)

There is around ten different suppliers to get this material for the construction in Leicester.  

Pavilion going to build by : 

Stone

Stone is natural material to build and it fits my theme primitivism as well . Costs low and can be recycled and lower environmental impact (Desarrollador, 2017). Supply can be found everywhere and has minimal maintenance. It fulfils all sustainability principles. I am going to use stone wall part of my pavilion and I am going to use for pathways too . In addition this material is durable as well.(Vierra, 2019)

Glass

Glass is sustainable material depend of usage and producing .Producing glass requires energy and raw materials and cause greenhouse gases which is negative impact on air pollution (Singapore Safety Glass, 2023). However glass is fully recyclable material and for my project I decided to use recycled glass for windows and pavilion exterior . Usage of the glass in construction is important for natural lighting and due to spending less energy in day for lighting which is fulfils sustainability .

References:

Woolley, T. (2006). Natural building : a guide to materials and techniques. Ramsbury: Crowood.

Arasteh, D.A. (n.d.). GreenSpec: Unfired clay bricks and structure. [online] www.greenspec.co.uk. Available at: https://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/unfired-clay-and-structure/.

Desarrollador (2017). Sustainable building with natural stone masonry. [online] Cupa Stone | Global. Available at: https://www.cupastone.com/sustainable-building-stone-masonry/.

Singapore Safety Glass. (2023). Is Glass a Sustainable Choice for Buildings? Examining the Environmental Impact. [online] Available at: https://ssg.com.sg/is-glass-a-sustainable-choice-for-buildings-examining-the-environmental-impact/#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20glass%20can%20be [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Vierra, S. (2019). Top Five Reasons Why Natural Stone is a Sustainable Choice for Your Home - Use Natural Stone. [online] Use Natural Stone. Available at: https://usenaturalstone.org/top-five-reasons-natural-stone-sustainable-choice-home/.

Picture Credits : 

Decor, T. (2019). Building Material – Lime. [online] Tanya Decor. Available at: https://tanyadecor.home.blog/2019/08/22/building-material-lime-2/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Unsplash (2018). Photo by Thimo van Leeuwen on Unsplash. [online] unsplash.com. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/green-banana-plant-qQ-0XjGTsbU [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Unsplash (2020). Photo by The Creativv on Unsplash. [online] unsplash.com. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-and-gray-brick-wall-0WxjDT_3Tsw [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Unsplash (2021). Photo by Lampos Aritonang on Unsplash. [online] unsplash.com. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-wooden-door-near-black-wooden-door-GLvdp1tLUkc [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

www.greenspec.co.uk. (n.d.). GreenSpec: Unfired clay bricks and structure. [online] Available at: https://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/unfired-clay-and-structure/.