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Showing posts with label sustainable development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable development. Show all posts

New 3D Print Technology for the Construction of Houses

Posted by Unknown 10 June 2014 2 comments
A new 3D printer technology has been developed lately to allow the construction of a house by printing part by part of the building and putting them together.

There is a specific video where illustrates and explains the new technology by the developers, as well as showing the very first canal house constructed using this technology in Amsterdam.


The printer can print parts with dimensions of 2m x 2m x 3.5m and the material of the parts printed is mixture of bio-plastic with 75% of vegetable oil. The technology has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions due to the eco-friendly material used for the printer as well as the reduction of the production of concrete and other materials. 

In the small clip explains that this technology reduces the construction cost as there is no need for material transfer as the printer will be functioning in-situ.

Furthermore, there is a software that the developers of the technology are developing to allow people in general to design their own houses to make it more personal.

Could this new technology really bring a big benefit to the construction industry due to the materials and cost-reduction that provides? Or could the last point made be the end of Architect's need in the industry as people will be able to design their own houses?

Limits Architects Set to the Range of Projects They Would Take On

Posted by Unknown 7 June 2014 0 comments
I came accross an article calles 'Weapons, Bribes And Dctators: Where Architects Draw The Line' by Fast CoDesign. The article talks about Zaha Hadid's project for the World Cup of 2022, which hundreds of workers that where working on the project have lost their lives. Zaha Hadid defends herself by saying that these matters are out of her control and she cannot do anything for it.

The article continues with 5 Renowned Architects talking about their limits, what building they would refuse to design and what type of projects do they prefer taking.



In my personal opinion and observation, each firm should have a limit to what project they would take. Architects and Designers is a link to saving the planet. Sustainable Design is about designing buildings and projects that will positevily contribute to this planet, that includes to the human population and any other life that populates the earth. If limits are ignored and buildings are designed that will negatively affect the environment, then our chance of making this planet a better place will slowly fade away.


References:
 http://www.fastcodesign.com/3028892/slicker-city/weapons-bribes-and-dictators-where-architects-draw-the-line

The Importance of Sustainable Development

Posted by Unknown 26 February 2014 1 comment
When a construction project is on the go, the functionality of it and its design is not enough to be able to contribute to society. A building to be 100% sufficient and contribute to society and the world needs to me sustainable.



The scientific definition of sustainable development is as followed:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

It is an approach to development that looks to balance different needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society. In other words, for a development to be sustainable it needs to be environmentally friendly, be economical and meet social justice.



It may not sound as important, or maybe you think 'why should I be bothered about it since it only affects the future?'



The fact is that sustainable is not just about the future, it's also about the present. Developing something in the present, that society can use in the present and the future society can use in the future too.

By 2100, the population of earth will grow over 10 billion people, the future population will grow in a society that is depended by technology (more than our generation does), and the technology that we use and will be used comes from resources that needs to be protected. In few words, sustainable development needs to provide an easier way of living, hence Social Justice.


Economic crisis is currently going on around the world, and a big amount of the population find it hard to live from all the bills that people need to pay etc. Economic Prosperity is established, not by just building a cheap building, sometimes is not even that. An economic-friendly building can include techniques that save a lot of energy consumption, water waste, provides heat generation, or generally technologies that will be an economical advantage to the occupants.

Nonetheless, I believe the Environmental Quality of a building is the most important aspect a development could provide. The human race is basically like a weapon of mass destruction, everything we produce, from food products to electricity produce pollution to the earth, as well as the green house effect which led to Global Warming. Sustainable Construction is a chance for human society to contribute to the environment by developing environmental quality in buildings.

A lot of technologies can be used in a development that can make it sustainable, I previously discussed few of them, such as the Sewage Treatment and Green Roofing. And there are hundreds and hundreds of other technologies that are being discovered every day. It is a matter of using these technologies in our developments.


Ecobuild Exhibition 2014 in London

Posted by Unknown 18 February 2014 1 comment
Between the 4th and 6th of March the tenth Ecobuild Exhibition for 2014 will be hosted in ExCel centre in London, According to the Ecobuild official website the exhibition is the 'world's leading event for sustainable design, construction, energy and the built environment'



In the Exhibition you will find tons of different ideas for sustainable construction, materials to use for your project and many more, including softwares for 3D modelling.

I will not describe the exhibition in full as it would be best to visit it. To register for the exhibition go on the Ecobuild official website to register for a free badge on https://registration.n200.com/survey/2bh8akmvg5386?check=1



Sewage Treatment: Contain, Use & Reuse

Posted by Pan So 8 December 2013 0 comments
It's been a long time since there was a post about sustainable development technologies and this is going to be one of those posts.

The sustainable technology that this post will be discussing is the sewage treatment. This type of technology is based on the principle 'Contain, Use and Reuse'. It's all about using the water again and again avoiding any pollution of the environment and the waste of precious water.

How this system works is that the water used from the tap, which is drinkable, is filtered and stored in a tank after it is being used for the dishes etc. Then, the water from the tank goes through pipes that pass from the shower, tap in the bathroom and the washing machine to be used there for a second time (not a drinkable water but clean enough for cleaning and bathing) and after that the same water again is being used for flashing the toilet, being used for watering the plants.

A sketch which shows the same principle of the sewage treatment
The method described above, is one of the many possible orders that the water can be used (and the most logical, the water for flashing the toilet always being the last would be ideal in all circumstances). 

This method, however, is not the same every time as it is a principle. What I mean by this is that from this idea, many other where born which are basically about reusing water in an efficient way to avoid the waste of water and the pollution of the environment. One example of the principle used is in the picture below which shows the sink connected to the toilet, the water that will be used from the tap will go through the sink and be stored in the tank of the toilet to be used for flashing it. (Designed from ROCA)




Green Roofing - Sustainable Construction Strategy

Posted by Pan So 22 August 2013 2 comments
A subject that really interests me is the Green Roofing. I've seen quite a few pictures searching the internet with gardens and trees on top of the houses and I always wondered how this worked. By that I mean, how is it possible for a roof to hold a garden and not be damaged from the water that trees need to be sustained?



After some small research, I found out that holding the garden was not as hard. In fact, green roofing has a lot of benefits and it is considered as part of sustainable construction.

There are two types of green roofing, the extensive roof gardens and the intensive roof gardens. The extensive roof garden is a hardy mat of sedum vegetation requiring little maintenance whereas the intensive roof garden is an actual garden on the roof with lawn, trees, ponds etc. which needs as much care as any other normal garden.

These two pictures below are going to help you to understand how the structure is established to install a roof garden, the top picture is for single layer fully grown system and the other is multi-layered pre-grown system:



A green roofing has a lot of benefits to give you for your design. Most of them are environmental benefits, which will also affect the occupants of the building. And there can also be some financial benefits.

Environmental benefits include:


  • Great insulation for both winter and summer
  • Sound insulation as soil blocks lower frequencies while the plans can block higher frequencies
  • Provides habitat for fauna and flora species
  • Retains 70-90% of rainwater, that can prevent pressure on the drains and river pollution
  • Does not reflect heat
  • Filter pollutants and carbon dioxides from the air preventing deceases (asthma etc.)
  • Increases agricultural space and many more

Financial Benefits:


  • Increases the roof's life span as green roofing protects the roof from UV light
  • Increases real estate values
  • Reduction in energy uses
A disadvantage that the green roofing would bring is that it costs for a green roofing to be applied in a building. First is the waterproofing that needs to be installed, and additional bearing loads need to be considered as the soil can be heavy if gathered together.



In my opinion the environmental advantages are far greater than the one disadvantage that needs to be considered. Personally I think this is a great strategy that can be used for a sustainable construction as well as a great design of a building and it would be great if green roofing started being applied in buildings.

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