The Development and Use of Low Embodied Energy Materials in a Carbon Conscious Construction Sector

The Development and Use of Low Embodied Energy Materials in a Carbon Conscious Construction Sector Aisling Mulligan

MArch 02

Semester 01

Thesis Formation First Idea

04

Initial Research

06

Precedent

08

Week 01 Reflectioion

14

Islands

16

Research Development

18

Talks & Workshops

26

Week 03 Slides & Reflection

28

Thesis Question

32

Week 04 Slides & Relection

34

What Next?

37

Thesis Testing Population Analysis

40

Week 05 Reflection

52

A Circular Economy

54

Precedent Analyisis

56

Week 06 Reflection

66

The Island as a Resource

68

A Material Centric Section

74

Week 07 Reflection

76

The Silk Pavilion

78

Mycelium Brick Development

80

Week 08 Reflection

85

Material Properties Fact Sheets

86

Week 09 Reflection

92

DLT fabrication

94

Material Exploration: Aesthetics & Uses

96

Final Review

102

Thoughts for Next Semester

104

Bibliography

106

Contents

Thesis Formation

First Idea

Prior to returning to college I began to look

Throughout this thought process I began to

at our first brief; to begin to define a thesis

think of embodied energy and its connection

question - the 'First Idea'. Throughout this

to transport and the ways and means that

week my thought process went through many

we bring our materials from place to place.

iterations before landing on what I presented

This

on the first day. My first thought when faced

the

continued

with the topic of the climate crisis in relation

the

similar

to architecture was the problem of embodied

sustainable if it is run on electricity which is

energy. This is the area where most of my

made from the burning of fossil fuels.

ideas

began

to

form

as

I

started

led

me

to

think

about

electrification

narrative

-

the

need

for

of

vehicles

and

a

vehicle

truly

is

thinking

about the real sustainability of buildings and

I

how we currently brandish structures as being

of a new architectural language that would

'sustainable'

facilitate

the

onslaught

of

only

after

if their

they

meet

certain

construction

is

criteria

complete.

began

Which

to

explore

could

the

idea

development clean

of

electricity

become

a

of

the

the

design

inevitable

power

pinnacle

plants.

point

I began to think that in a world where our state

community

of climate crisis is increasingly monumental it

heritage and education within a locale.

and

act

as

beacons

of

of

culture,

is not enough for architects to say that our structures will offset their construction based

This was the idea which I presented on day

emissions over their lifetime. We must also

one of the semester.

be

conscious

to

build

with

materials

which

have little to no embodied energy. In building this way we can create a truly sustainable architecture,

one

as

its

well

as,

sustainable.

4.

whose lifetime

building emissions

processes, are

fully

The possibility of creating a new architectural language for clean energy power stations

Traditionally architecture which

it

power to

be

supplies

stations

divorced due

to

have

from

the

been

seen

communities

hazardous

as the

nature

a

form

of

communities

of

fossil

fuel

processing. With the introduction of clean energy production there comes an opportunity to create and develop an interactive form of

architecture

cultural

aspect

which of

a

forms

part

country ’s

of

fight

a

community;

against

the

an

important

climate

crisis,

clean energy power stations have the possibility to play a huge roll in education, tourism and heritage.

Initial Research

Throughout week one I began to develop my position in regards to my first idea. We were asked to choose a reading from a curated list and I chose 'Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know' by Joseph Romm. My intention with this choice was to garner a better insight into the science behind climate change and to hopefully come to a point where I could better

understand

affects

our

how

climate.

architecture

This

book

directly

became

a

great basis for me and my ideas on thesis formation. Throughout, in the form of question and answer segments, the book explores in particular, the role carbon has in changing weather patterns throughout the world.

This

idea

thoughts

brought on

me

back

embodied

energy

to

my

and

original how

the

vast majority of this energy is released into our

atmosphere

in

the

form

of

carbon.

It

was this which led me to question whether I wished to continue in the direction which I had set out for myself earlier on in the week.

It was here that I decided to take a step backwards

from

the

architecture

of

future

power stations to fully explore the ideas which had led me to my original thesis idea; in the hopes that a project would organically grow from my research instead of prescribing one for myself from the outset.

6.

I

wanted

to

fully

of

The exploration of materials, their value and

embodied energy in architecture and the mark

life cycle began to really change the way I

the

looked at the process of architectural design

construction

explore

industry

is

the

idea

having

on

our

environment.

and I began to think about the opportunity an architect has to design in a sustainable

I set about reading another of the recommended

way which too can be aesthetic - in material

books; this time 'Embodied Energy and Design'

expression. I have always been interested in

by

series

the use of timber in design projects and its

of collated essays by experts in their fields,

aesthetic and structural capabilities. It is true

all

elements

that timber is one of the construction materials

of embodied energy in design. I found this

with the lowest levels of embodied energy. I

book

began to become interested in materials, like

my

David

of

Benjamin.

which

deal

This

with

book

is

different

a

extremely interesting, it really grabbed attention

as

something

rarely

this, which could be implemented in design

addressed in architectural education but whose

and which would have low or no embodied

gravity is ever increasing in the current race

energy during their useful life.

against climate change.

which

is

Precedent - DESI Training Centre

When asked to choose a precedent to study

The

use

of

locally

sourced

and

sustainable

for the first two weeks of the semester from

materials means there is little to no harmful

the list included in 'An Architecture Guide to

emissions in the form of transport nor in the

the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals', the

processing of the materials themselves as they

sub heading of Responsible Consumption and

are completely natural. The fastening of the

Production immediately seemed to be one of

bamboo sections together using natural fibers

the most relevant to my interests.

rather then glue or nails means it can easily be disassembled and reused, truly embracing

I began my research into the DESI Training Centre

in

Radrapur,

Bangladesh

by

the nature of the cradle to cradle approach.

Anna

Herringer. The project interested me because of

The building is not only sustainable in terms of

its all-round sustainable nature. The building

structure but also in terms of community and

is constructed using only local materials thus

culture. Its development was entirely conceived

drastically reducing any embodied energy that

by unskilled local members of the community.

may be involved its fabrication. Rammed earth

This

walls

ground

funds used were kept within the community

floor which create a solid foundation for the

and also through the passing on of skills to

light bamboo structure of the floor above. The

local people, affording them the opportunity

earthen walls are made from mud collected

to build their own houses to a much higher

from

standard

constitute

nearby

the

lakes

entirety

and

river

of

the

beds

and

the

benefited

than

them

could

two

fold;

have

by

ensuring

previously

been

bamboo structural elements come directly from

achieved whilst still using traditional methods

the forest adjacent to the site (Ashraf,2007).

and materials (Heringer,2019).

This concept of the proximity of materials is something which I wanted to look into in week three and which is illustrated in my drawn piece on the following page.

8.

Precedent - DESI Training Centre

axonometric site plan

10.

1:100 1:2000

The Desi Training Centre - Radarpur, Bangladesh This building is a training centre for electricians, designed by German architect Anna Heringer, as part of a project to bring safer and improved building techniques to the area whilst still using local resources. The training centre was entirely built by unskilled locals who live and work in the area and the majority of materials used in the construction were sourced in the immediate surroundings. Not out-sourcing labour and materials meant that the money used for the construction remained in the local economy, benefiting the community. It also meant that the building is extremely low in embodied energy. The construction of the training centre has meant that many valuable skills have been passed onto the community members, many of whom now live in 'hand made' houses on the site. Using the skills they have learnt, these people have been able to build two story houses of their own, which has allowed for a freeing up of space for valuable agricultureal land. The building provides all its own energy through the use of solar panels, and employs cross-ventilation to keep rooms cool. Warm water is provided through the use of a solar thermal heating system while the building is the first in bangladesh to have its own two chamber septic tank.

bamboo forest

water sources

handmade homes

paddi fields

Building Materials Rammed Earth Walls - taken from nearby river, lakes and ponds - mixed with straw for reinforcement Bamboo Secondary Structure / Walls / Rain Screen - from bamboo forests adjacent to the site - structural bamboo fastened with iron pins which are easily dismanteled for recycling - woven elements to reflect inductries of the local area Roofing - bamboo structure & substructure, 250mm coir fibre insulation, 80mm earthen layer, sheet metal roofing - bamboo structure, polycarbonate, dried palm leaves (shade) Foundations - masonry foundation with damp proof course -

Aisling Mulligan

Comparative Study

Precedent

Precedent - DESI Training Centre

Aisling Mulligan

Comparative Study

Precedent

Radrapur, Bangladesh - 1:2000

The Dublin Suburbs - 1:2000

A comparative study showing the footprint of the town people - juxtaposed with a housing estate in the Dublin our usual means of building suggests that the embodied than the virtually non-existent embodied

12.

of Radrapur in Bangladesh which is home to 3000 suburbs. The density here is exponentially higher and energy of this residential area would be much higher energy of the buildings in Radrapur.

Aisling Mulligan

Comparative Study

1:2000 A comparative study showing the footprint of the town people - juxtaposed with a housing estate in the Dublin our usual means of building suggests that the embodied than the virtually non-existent embodied

Precedent

1:2000 @A3

of Radrapur in Bangladesh which is home to 3000 suburbs. The density here is exponentially higher and energy of this residential area would be much higher energy of the buildings in Radrapur.

A comparative study showing the footprint of the town of Radrapur in Bangladesh which is home to 3000 people - juxtaposed with a housing estate in the Dublin suburbs (google maps, 2019). The density here is exponentially higher and our usual means of building suggests that the embodied energy of this residential area would be much higher than the virtually non-existent embodied energy of the buildings in Radrapur.

Week One -Learner Contract Meeting and Tutorial

We

began

Contract'

a

task

to

complete

this

was

a

booklet

of

a

'Learner

Week one ended with both a meeting concerning

questions

our learner contracts and a 1:1 tutorial. These

which sought to garner an understanding of

meetings

where

final

mode of redefining what I was thinking in

year. I found that completing this task really

terms of thesis. Many points which sparked my

got me thinking about the ways in which I

interest were discussed, such as the possibility

have approached work to date and also how I

of resource mapping during a project's design

could go about improving this. It also helped

stage. This resource mapping would help to

as a way to organise my thoughts about how

pinpoint potential materials and construction

I could tackle the year ahead by pinpointing

methods

my areas of interest both architecturally and

the

outside of the realm of design.

embodied energy.

I was then able to reflect on my affinity for

I was advised to go about a process of trial

the use of timber in design and my application

and error and not to tie myself down to a

of the material in a number of my previous

particular building typology straight away but

projects. This is a vein of research which, as

instead to test a number of concepts against

I reflected upon, I really felt I would like to

my

continue with throughout the year as it plays

before coming to a definitive design project.

a large part in the drive for the use of more

This really helped me initially to slow down

environmentally friendly construction materials.

my thinking process and allow my research to

we

felt

we

stood

coming

into

were

very

which

structure

theory

of

beneficial

may

in

a

low

inform

way

to

the

which

embodied

me

design

involves

energy

inform the work that I would produce.

14.

as

a

of less

design

Week One - Reflection

By the end of the first week back I felt as

From

the

though I had somewhat managed to get a

step

back

grasp on the pace of the semester and the

architecture

work that was expected of us.

us with power to thinking about the processes

beginning from of

of

solely

the

the

week

thinking

structures

I

took

about

which

a the

provide

involved in the creation of these materials and I came into the week with a sure idea of

how we can use less of the energy we are

what I wanted to pursue for my thesis but

producing to fabricate materials which have

by the close of the week this had already

an extremely low impact on our environment.

gone through many iterations as my thought

Taking

process moved from one thing to another and

that I could prevent myself from getting too

was

influenced

tutorials

specific too quickly and allowed me to get

and

chats

change

the most out of the process of research and

in

mind

with

of

by

research,

other

ideas

talks,

students.

like

this

The

was

something

a

step

back

in

my

research

meant

formation.

which I always thought would be a barrier to progression of work but I came to realise at

By the end of the week I felt as though I

the start of the semester that it is exactly the

was

opposite. That the evolution from our original

into ideas such as circular economy and the

thesis ideas is something which is a natural

cradle

progression

thesis

ideas would drive my work for the week to

formation, and that our stance will continue to

come. I also felt as though alongside this I

ebb and flow as we research and develop new

would be beginning to think about a vehicle

thought processes while we develop a deeper

to express this research or a building typology

understanding of our chosen topic.

which would be best suited to exploring the

during

the

process

of

in

a

to

good

cradle

position

to

approach

begin

and

research

that

these

idea of low embodied energy construction.

Islands

In week two we were asked to respond to the concept of 'islands' with a piece of work which

encompassed

our

idea

around

thesis

formation and this abstract idea of islands.

I chose to do an abstract collage in keeping with

that

which

first

submission

I

had

completed

of

'the

first

idea'.

for

our

In

this

collage I wanted to explore and illustrate the idea of embodied energy. Thus far when we talk about 'net zero' buildings we are talking about those which meet criteria on the basis of

their

operational

energy,

discounting

the

large amounts of energy which is consumed throughout the whole life cycle of the material.

This

could

processes

be are

due not

to

the

visible

fact to

us

that

these

when

we

look at a structure and therefore are easily forgotten about.

This piece deals with 'what lies beneath the surface' and explores the damage these highenergy processes that we can't see are doing to our environment without our knowledge.

16.

Research Development

I

continued

field

of

If we are to build these new structures, as we

reading

of

have been for generations, using conventional

numerous journal articles and reports and I

methods we will be hugely contributing to global

began to develop a clearer picture of what

climate change through the embodied carbon

processes different materials go through before

of materials. We must start implementing new

they get to site- as well as after their useful

and

life, which are harmful to the environment.

hold little to no embodied energy and rethink

embodied

my

research

energy

into

through

the

the

our

innovative

standards

forms

of

A particular idea which stood out to me during

order

my research was that of David Benjamin in his

inevitable

introduction to 'Embodied Energy and Design'.

urban populations.

He

highlights

populations

the

as

immanent

hopefully results

of

zero'

mitigate the

which

construction these

in

currently

exponential

rise

in

urban In an updated piece to accompany that which

and rural lifestyles for a number of different

reflected my thesis idea in week one I made

reasons

a collage to illustrate the influx of migrants

conflict.

This

undoubtedly

as rise

put

abandon

in

'net

construction

agricultural

such

people

rise

to

of

economy, in

urban

increasing

climate

and

populations pressure

on

will

to the world's urban centres.

the

world's urban infrastructure causing a need

Adding

for

allowed me to hone in on more specific areas

rapid

construction

of

cater for these people.

new

structures

to

this

second

layer

to

my

research

of embodied energy which related to this idea of the growth of urban centres and the over/ misuse of materials and it provided me with a vehicle to test these parameters.

'The 'convenient' mislocation of embodied energy allows us to sidestep responsibility for the most energy-intensive consequences of our decisions' (Benjamin, 2017)

18.

The Current Situation

amount

of

warming.

That

way,

a

carbon

footprint consisting of a number of different greenhouse gases can be assessed using a single number (The Guardian, 2019).

For example: the ground floor concrete slab has an area of 52sqm, at a depth of 300mm Following advice I received in my tutorial in week 2 I decided to look into the embodied energy

that

common

is

associated

building

with

typology

in

the

most

Ireland;

the

semi-detached house. In order to show the damage that continuing to build in this way to cater for the rise in urban populations would have on the environment.

from UniversalDesign.ie and using figures from the I.C.E. Database which is available from circularecology.com

I was able

with

figure

energy

estimated of

the

structural

for

to

come

the

up

embodied

elements

of

this

housing typology.

The

I.C.E.

commonly

lists

a

construction

wide

range

materials

of and

their respective values for embodied carbon.

Each material is given many different values depending

on

a

number

of

varying

factors

and thus a quite accurate estimation can be achieved.

kilograms

of

carbon

dioxide

equivalent

per kilogram. Carbon dioxide equivalent is a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints.

The idea is to express the impact of each different

we

can

calculate

the

mass

of

greenhouse

gas

in

terms

of

the

amount of CO2 that would create the same

concrete slab as being 37,440kg. The I.C.E. Database gives a figure of 0.122kgco2e/kg as the embodied energy of concrete suitable for this type of construction; this multiplied by the mass of the slab gives a figure of

dioxide

equivalent

that

would

have

been

emitted by the concrete slab from cradle to gate. Current net zero standards fail to take these figures into account and thus provide us with a skewed perspective on what sustainable construction really is.

of the house's main structural elements I came to a total figure of 16,319kgco2e, this amount of carbon emissions would be equivalent to 135,886.5km driven in a new car.

This figure which was already astounding, was only compounded by an article which I found

on 'two up two down' houses in Scotland. In this study all elements of the building were assessed,

including

finishings

and

fixtures

which brought their total figure for embodied carbon to 80,000kgco2e. This is the same as

24 economy flights from Hong Kong to London, and is a sobering example of the harm we are causing to the environment by not building or designing in a climate conscious way.

20.

the

in The Guardian which details a study done

The figures are given as 'kgco2e/kg' which is

m3)

After calculating the embodied energy of each

Database used

this by the mean weight of concrete (2400kg/

4,567.7kgco2e which is the amount of carbon

Taking plans of a typical semi detached house

an

its volume amounts to 15.6m3. If you multiply

Aisling Mulligan

Embodied Energy of a typical Semi Detached House

Plans from Universal Design Guidelines For Homes in Ireland used for calculations 1:50

Thesis Idea

The Current Situation

Exterior Walls Concrete Block

length of all walls: 29.7m

height of exterior walls: 5.3m

area of exterior walls: 157.41sqm

area of conc blocks: 0.440 x 0.215 = 0.094sqm

number of blocks in wall: 1,674.57 blocks

embodied carbon of concrete block [440x215x100]: 1.8kgco2e

embodeied carbon of concrete block leaf: 3,014kgco2e

Brick Exterior

length of all walls: 29.7m

height of exterior walls: 5.3m

area of exterior walls: 157.41sqm

area of bricks: 0.215 x 0.065 = 0.013975sqm

number of bricks in wall: 11,263 bricks mean mass of bricks: 2.13kg

mass of wall: 23,990kg embodied carbon of clay brick: 0.195kgco2e/kg

embodied carbon of brick exterior: 4,678kgco2e

Foundations Strip Foundation

perimetre of site: 29.7m (0.3,1)

volume of foundations: 8.91m3

mean weight of concrete: 2400kg

mass of foundation: 21,384kg

embodied carbon of concrete: 0.122kgco2e/kg

embodied carbon of strip foundation: 2,608.8kgco2e

Concrete Slab

area: 52sqm (0.3)

volume: 15.6m3

mean weight of concrete: 2400kg

22.

mass of slab: 37,440kg embodied carbon of concrete: 0.122kgco2e/kg

embodied carbon of concrete slab: 4,567.7kgco2e

Other Elements Roof Slates

area of roof: 54.676m2

weight of tiles: 54kg/m2

mass of roof: 2,952.5kg

embodied carbon of tiles: 0.255kgco2e/kg

embodied carbon of whole roof: 752.89kgco2e

Windows- Excluding Frames

area of double glazing: 14.315sqm

embodied carbon of double glazing: 48.8kgco2e/m2

embodied carbon of windows: 698.572kgco2e

Calculation of total embodied carbon in a tradition semi-detached house

embodied energy of strip foundation: 2,608.8 kgco2e

embodied energy of concrete slab: 4,567.7 kgco2e

embodeied carbon of concrete block leaf: 3,014 kgco2e

embodied carbon of brick exterior: 4,678 kgco2e

embodied carbon of whole roof: 752.89 kgco2e

embodied carbon of windows: 698.572 kgco2e

embodied carbon of main elements: 16,319.969 kgco2e

Material Research - Brettstapel

Aisling Mulligan

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Thesis Idea

Process of fabrication 1:50

1:50 @ A3

Process of Fabrication

In

order

emissions

to

combat

these

levels

in urban construction

of

carbon

I began to

never

come

across

before

and

its

benefits

seemed outstanding.

research materials and building methods which how little to no embodied energy. I already

Brettstaple is a form of mass timber construction

knew the environmental benefits of building

which requires no adhesives, nails or screws.

with timber in glulam or CLT but I wondered if

Instead

there was a way of acheiving this without the

together

use of harmful toxins, laminates and glues.

org, 2019). This combination works extremely

softwood by

timber

hardwood

elements dowels

are

held

(Brettstapel.

well as the hardwood dowels absorb moisture I

came

across

construction

a

which

method

of

originated

mass in

timber

from the softwood and expand, holding the

Germany

panel together without the need for additional

called Brettstapel or Dowel Laminated Timber

elements

(DLT). This was a form of construction I had

only help to rise the embodied energy of the material.

24.

found

in

glulam

and

CLT

which

Aisling Mulligan

Aisling Mulligan

Reveal Edge

Acoustic Profile

Fluted Profile

Squared Edge

Chamfered Edge

1:20

Fluted Profile

Profiles

Reveal Edge

1:20

Thesis Idea

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Acoustic Profile

Profiles

Thesis Idea

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Chamfered Edge

Squared Edge

Profiles Reveal Edge

Acoustic Profile

Fluted Profile

Chamfered Edge

Squared Edge

Build Ups 1:20

Build Ups 1:20

Exterior wall with rendered facade

Intermediate floor construction

Exterior wall with timber cladding

Exterior wall with Exterior wall with timber cladding timber cladding

Intermediate floor Intermediate floor construction construction

Exterior wall with Exterior wall with rendered facade rendered facade

Buildups

1:20 @ A3

Sequesters CO2

Demountable

The embodied energy of timber is drastically lower than that of many more conventional building methods. This is because not only is timber a renewable resource it also acts as a carbon sink, this is because when alive, the

tree

absorbs

co2

from

the

atmosphere

converting it to oxygen but some of this co2 remains in the timber when it is harvested, preventing

it

atmosphere.

from

being

released

into

the

Due

to

the

lack

of

fasteners

or

adhesives

used in the fabrication of DLT the material is inherintly demountable and reusable. This means at the end of a building's useful life its timber elements can be taken down and reused elsewhere, making DLT an example of a material which embrases a circular economy.

Talks & Workshops

Thesis Talks

Peter Cody

In week one we were given the opportunity

'No man is an island'. We received a talk

to hear from a number of students from the

from Peter Cody in week one which was in

years above who talked on the topic of thesis.

relation to the topic of islands which we would

This event was extremely beneficial as we got

be exploring the following week.

first hand information about what to expect from the coming semester.

The talk revolved mostly around literature and poetry

as

Peter

read

aloud

a

number

of

It was interesting to hear from other students

pieces in order to inspire us to think in an

how best to tackle thesis formation, reviews

abstract and different way about the topic of

and

up

islands. In the second half of the workshop

topics which I think otherwise we would not

Peter got us to respond through the use of

have thought about; such as, not getting too

words to a piece he had previously read out. I

caught up in defining a thesis question early

found this helpful as a new mode of thinking;

on, to let it evolve throughout the semester.

in architecture we mostly think visually, with

They also gave tips on work methods such

sketch and diagrammatic drawings being our

as

come

main methods of communicating our ideas. It

back to at a later date and noted that it is

was interesting to test out and make use of

always important to make sure your thesis is

a new way of doing this - through written

something you are genuinely interested in, to

word and poetry.

the

audio

overall

workload.

recording

your

They

brought

thoughts

to

make sure you are excited about the topic makes the work much less daunting and more

Peter also emphasised the importance of the

enjoyable.

idea that the project you are really making is yourself, by keeping your thesis closely related to what you are interested in you can ensure that it will be an enjoyable process.

26.

Oliver Kinanne

Climate Workshop

On Wednesday of week three Oliver Kinanne

On the morning of the Friday of week three

came

we all got together for a workshop on climate

on

to

the

climate

studio

to

change

deliver

and

a

lecture

sustainability

in

and

architecture.

We

started

the

morning

architecture. The lecture was in many ways

by

relevant to the topics I have been interested

footprints which came as a shock to many of

in and so presented me with a lot of new

us, particularly the impact flying can have on

information, as well as inspiration.

your personal carbon footprint. We continued

calculating

our

individual

yearly

carbon

the workshop by putting our names to a number Oliver

emphasised

switch

to

of post-it notes and placing one under each

number

of

topic which we deemed relevant to our current

valuable resources such as Stephen Bodesman's

thesis questions; these included topics such as

carbon to temperature rise equation and circular

building, material, sustainability, cities, energy

ecology's I.C.E. Database. The use of timber

and many more. This process really helped me

as

construction

to define where I hoped to go with my thesis

was explored and Oliver also talked in depth

at the time and further informed my thesis

about

the tendency for architects to design

question which we were given a few minutes

for permanence rather than adaptability and

to think through and write out ahead of our

the

submission the following week.

nonlinear

an

systems

alternative

huge

negative

the

need

to

and

gave

a

to

concrete

effect

this

has

on

our

environment and the levels of carbon released into

stuck

The workshop ended with each of us choosing

with me was that 70% of houses in the UK

a topic which we thought best described our

go

-

thesis formation to date, the topic under which

for

i thought my thesis idea was best suited was

how

our

atmosphere.

A

through

destruction

can

reduce

we

adaptability?

quote

to

this

which

enable by

growth

designing

that

of

'resource

efficiency'.

This

workshop

was interesting as it gave us a chance to get

to

know

the

different

directions

other

students were thinking of bringing their work and provided a lot of inspiration coming into week four.

Week Three - Marketplace

At the end of week three I began collating my work to put together slides for our mock presentations that Friday. The thesis question I had defined at this point was

'How might we cater to the inevitable influx of climate migrants into the worlds cities in a manner which does not cause further harm to our world?'

I divided my slides into five different topics I wished to talk about, starting with an overview of my thesis ideas and thoughts on the current 'net zero' accreditation as well as my views on circular economy and the need to stray away from conventional building methods.

My second slide was intended to further my discussion on the cradle to cradle approach by bringing into focus the readings which I had done that had the biggest influence on my thesis so far.

I then brought my presentation around to my second line of research: climate migrancy and the exponential rise of urban populations. This is a topic which I used as a vehicle to explore the necessity to change the material design of our structures.

I

went

on

to

explore

my

precedent

of

the

DESI training centre as this works as a good example of building with low embodied energy materials.

Finally I explained the work I had done to date and how I thought I would continue this on into the thesis testing stage.

28.

I s N e t Z e r o Tr u l y N e t Z e r o E n e r g y ?

Research

e possibility of creating a new architectural language for clean energy power stations

onally

ecture it

power to

be

supplies

stations

divorced due

to

have

from

the

been

seen

communities

hazardous

as the

nature

a

form

of

communities

of

fossil

fuel

sing. With the introduction of clean energy production there an opportunity to create and develop an interactive form

hitecture

which

al

of

aspect

a

forms

part

country ’s

of

fight

a

community;

against

the

an

important

climate

crisis,

energy power stations have the possibility to play a huge education, tourism and heritage.

Thesis Idea 01: The real cost of construction

How might we cater to the inevitable influx of climate migrants to the worlds cities in a manner which does not cause further harm to our world?

Islands: What lies beneath the surface?

Climate Migrancy

D E S I Tr a i n i n g C e n t r e

The Desi Training Centre - Radarpur, Bangladesh This building is a training centre for electricians, designed by German architect Anna Heringer, as part of a project to bring safer and improved building techniques to the area whilst still using local resources. The training centre was entirely built by unskilled locals who live and work in the area and the majority of materials used in the construction were sourced in the immediate surroundings. Not out-sourcing labour and materials meant that the money used for the construction remained in the local economy, benefiting the community. It also meant that the building is extremely low in embodied energy. The construction of the training centre has meant that many valuable skills have been passed onto the community members, many of whom now live in 'hand made' houses on the site. Using the skills they have learnt, these people have been able to build two story houses of their own, which has allowed for a freeing up of space for valuable agricultureal land. The building provides all its own energy through the use of solar panels, and employs cross-ventilation to keep rooms cool. Warm water is provided through the use of a solar thermal heating system while the building is the first in bangladesh to have its own two chamber septic tank.

10%

lived in cities in

1900

bamboo forest

water sources

handmade homes

paddi fields

50%

lived in cities in

2005

68%

will live in cities in

2050

-The Endless City & UN.org

200 MILLION

Climate Migrants by

2050

-IPCC

Building Materials The sustainable nature of local, readily available materials Rammed Earth Walls - taken from nearby river, lakes and ponds - mixed with straw for reinforcement -

Bamboo Secondary Structure / Walls / Rain Screen - from bamboo forests adjacent to the site - structural bamboo fastened with iron pins which are easily dismanteled for recycling - woven elements to reflect inductries of the local area Roofing - bamboo structure & substructure, 250mm coir fibre insulation, 80mm earthen layer, sheet metal roofing - bamboo structure, polycarbonate, dried palm leaves (shade) axonometric site plan

Aisling Mulligan

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Thesis Idea

A Methodology for Continuation Aisling Mulligan

Thesis Idea

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Process of fabrication 1:50

Profiles 1:20

Acoustic Profile

Aisling Mulligan

Reveal Edge

Embodied Energy of a typical Semi Detached House

One of the many possible replacement construction methods Dowel Laminated Timber - No glues or nails

Fluted Profile

Chamfered Edge

Squared Edge

Thesis Idea

Build Ups embodied carbon of roof tiles:

752.89

kgco2e

embodied carbon of windows:

698.572

kgco2e

embodeied carbon of concrete block leaf:

3,014

kgco2e

embodied carbon of brick exterior:

4,678

kgco2e

embodied carbon of concrete slab:

4,567.7

kgco2e

embodied carbon of strip foundation:

2,608.8

kgco2e

1:20

Exterior wall with rendered facade

How much embodied energy is in the homes we currently build?

What would happen if we were to build like this to accommodate all new climate migrants?

Intermediate floor construction

Exterior wall with timber cladding

1:100 1:2000

Foundations - masonry foundation with damp proof course -

Week Three - Reflection

I found the mock presentations in week three

Through

to

of

others in the year and noting the pointers given

assessing aspects of my presentation that I

to us at the end of the session, it became

wished to work on in order to better it for

clear to me the importance of including a

the coming week. Seeing the work of others

reference to the element of the thesis question

in the year was extremely interesting, as the

I was addressing in terms of 'what, why and

scope of research is so broad in comparison

how'. As well as to explain how and what you

to previous years; it gave me much inspiration

intend to do in the next stage of the semester

on pieces of work I could complete to better

'thesis testing'.

be

very

beneficial

to

me

in

terms

watching

the

presentations

of

the

explore and explain my thesis question.

The Through

along

with

were sourced were things which I hoped to

I picked up on which I hoped to change and

rectify for the submission the following week

improve for the following week. I hoped to

in order to make my slides as self-explanatory

improve my mode of presentation; speaking

and easy to follow as possible.

also my

noted

audience

that

speaking

and

I

had so

delivering

elements

presentation there were a number of aspects

the

of

these

clear references to where ideas and information

to

process

of

my

directly

the

inclusion

with

conviction.

gone

this

over

was

time

I in

something

I

also

noted

how

much

easier

it

was

to

I

follow presentations when a short line or two

took upon my self to practice in the coming

of information was provided on each slide,

week to assure the delivery of my points was

this was something I decided should also be

confined to the five minute mark.

incorporated into my slides for the following week.

In terms of the visuals of my presentation I wanted to remove any non-original items, such

as

images

of

books

I

had

read

for

research, instead leaving room for new pieces of work which would hopefully further illustrate my thesis idea.

30.

Thesis Question

'The current use of the term 'Net Zero Energy' fails to take into account a building's embodied energy, which

accounts

for

nearly

30%

of

the

world's

carbon emissions1. This thesis aims to gain further knowledge into the processes of life cycle analysis and embodied energy, through the researching of materials and their inherent carbon emissions, in order to find a truly net zero form of construction.

Using

the

framework

focus

on

a

new

of

housing,

community

that

the

thesis

may

arrive

will in

Ireland - the climate migrant. It is estimated that by the year 2050 there will be 200 million climate migrants world-wide2. This surge in population in the

world's

urban

cities,

migration

coupled

will

put

with

huge

rapid pressure

economic on

our

cities' infrastructures3. This thesis aims to look at Dublin by challenging traditional forms of housing and our views on density; how might we cater to these migrants in a way which does not cause further harm to our environment?'

32.

1. Benjamin, David N. Embodied Energy and Design: Making Architecture between Metrics and Narratives.

Zürich, Switzerland;New York;: Columbia University GSAPP, 2017.

2. International Organisation for Migration. Migration and Climate Change. (2008). .

3. Burdett, Richard, Deyan Sudjic, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft für Internationalen Dialog. The Endless City: The Urban Age Project by the London School of Economics and Deutsche Bank's Alfred Herrhausen Sociey. London: Phaidon, 2007.

Thesis Formation Presentation

I s N e t Z e r o E n e r g y Tr u l y N e t Z e r o ?

A Circular

The possibility of creating a new architectural language for clean energy power stations

Traditionally architecture which

it

power to

be

supplies

stations

divorced due

to

have

from

the

been

seen

communities

hazardous

as the

nature

a

form

of

Sourcing

communities

of

fossil

fuel

processing. With the introduction of clean energy production there

Up

comes an opportunity to create and develop an interactive form

cultural

aspect

which of

a

forms

part

country ’s

of

fight

a

community;

against

the

an

important

climate

cy

cl

crisis,

clean energy power stations have the possibility to play a huge roll in education, tourism and heritage.

Re tu rn

e

/

architecture

Re cy cl e

of

Rema

ur e nufact

Product Develpoment

Refurbish / Remarke t / Res ell Exchang U se / e Disposal Reuse

Re

ir / Upgr pa ad Re

e

tr ad e

Re

Thesis Idea 01: The real cost of construction

Islands: What lies beneath the surface?

r tu

Construction

W H AT

W H AT

D E S I Tr a i n

Climate Migrancy 200 million climate migrants by 2050 -IPCC

10% lived in cities in 1900

The Desi Trainin

How might we cater for the inevitable influx of climate

This building is a training centre for electric to bring safer and improved building techniqu entirely built by unskilled locals who live and were sourced in the immediate surroundings. N construction remained in the local economy, be embodied energy. The construction of the train community members, many of whom now live people have been able to build two story hous agricultureal land. The building provides all its to keep rooms cool. Warm water is provided th first in banglades

The sustainable nature of lo

migrants to the worlds cities in a manner which does not cause further harm to our world?

bamboo forest

water

50% lived in cities in 2005

68%

The Desi Training Cent

will live in cities in

This building is a training centre for electricians, desig to bring safer and improved building techniques to the entirely built by unskilled locals who live and work in th were sourced in the immediate surroundings. Not out-sou construction remained in the local economy, benefiting the embodied energy. The construction of the training centre community members, many of whom now live in 'hand m people have been able to build two story houses of their agricultureal land. The building provides all its own energy to keep rooms cool. Warm water is provided through the first in bangladesh to have R

2050 -The Endless City & UN.org

- taken from - mixed w

Areas most affected by climate related emigration

Bamboo Seconda - from bambo - structural bamboo fastened with - woven elements to

- bamboo structure & substructure, 250mm - bamboo structure, po axonometric site plan

WHY

The Endless City / UN.org / IPCC / The New York Times

1:100 1:2000

bamboo forest

- masonry foun water sources

HOW

A Methodology for Continuation

80 kgCo2e = Aisling Mulligan

01

Aisling Mulligan

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Thesis Idea

Hong Kong

Embodied Energy of a typical Semi Detached House

London

02

Thesis Idea

Process of fabrication 1:50

752.89 kgCo2e

embodied carbon of roof tiles:

752.89

kgco2e

embodied carbon of windows:

698.572

embodeied carbon of concrete block leaf:

3,014

embodied carbon of brick exterior:

4,678

embodied carbon of concrete slab:

4,567.7

embodied carbon of strip foundation:

2,608 kgCo2e

698.57 kgCo2e

kgco2e

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Aisling Mulligan

3,014 kgCo2e

Testing embodied energy of conventional construction methods

Build Ups 1:20

Reveal Edge

Fluted Profile

squared edge

1:20

kgco2e

chamfered edge

Profiles

fluted profile

2,608.8

kgco2e

reveal edge

kgco2e

4,587 kgCo2e

acoustic profile

4,678 kgCo2e

Acoustic Profile

Chamfered Edge

Squared Edge

Researching new & innovative materials to find ones suitable to low cost; low embodied energy construction

HOW

The Guardian axonometric site plan

34.

Thesis Idea

kgco2e

1:100 1:2000

Exterior wall with rendered facade

Intermediate floor construction

Exterior wall with timber cladding

Building M Rammed E - taken from nearby riv - mixed with straw

Bamboo Secondary Structu - from bamboo forests - structural bamboo fastened with iron pins - woven elements to reflect in

Roof - bamboo structure & substructure, 250mm coir fibre - bamboo structure, polycarbona

Founda - masonry foundation wit

Circular Economy Sourcing

Rema

Re tu rn

ure nufact

Manufacturing

How might we achieve a net zero form of construction which turns its back on the conventional architecture of concrete and block, by utilising low/no embodied energy materials?

Refurbish / Remarke t / Res ell Exchang U se / e

Reuse

Marketing & Sales

e

ir / Upgr pa ad Re

r tu Re

n

Construction

Embodied Energy and Design: David Benjamin

E S I Tr a i n i n g C e n t r e

The Desi Training Centre - Radarpur, Bangladesh This building is a training centre for electricians, designed by German architect Anna Heringer, as part of a project to bring safer and improved building techniques to the area whilst still using local resources. The training centre was entirely built by unskilled locals who live and work in the area and the majority of materials used in the construction were sourced in the immediate surroundings. Not out-sourcing labour and materials meant that the money used for the construction remained in the local economy, benefiting the community. It also meant that the building is extremely low in embodied energy. The construction of the training centre has meant that many valuable skills have been passed onto the community members, many of whom now live in 'hand made' houses on the site. Using the skills they have learnt, these people have been able to build two story houses of their own, which has allowed for a freeing up of space for valuable agricultureal land. The building provides all its own energy through the use of solar panels, and employs cross-ventilation to keep rooms cool. Warm water is provided through the use of a solar thermal heating system while the building is the first in bangladesh to have its own two chamber septic tank.

e sustainable nature of local, readily available materials

bamboo forest

water sources

handmade homes

paddi fields

The thesis formation element of the semester culminated with our five minute presentations in

The Desi Training Centre - Radarpur, Bangladesh

lding is a training centre for electricians, designed by German architect Anna Heringer, as part of a project safer and improved building techniques to the area whilst still using local resources. The training centre was uilt by unskilled locals who live and work in the area and the majority of materials used in the construction ced in the immediate surroundings. Not out-sourcing labour and materials meant that the money used for the n remained in the local economy, benefiting the community. It also meant that the building is extremely low in energy. The construction of the training centre has meant that many valuable skills have been passed onto the members, many of whom now live in 'hand made' houses on the site. Using the skills they have learnt, these e been able to build two story houses of their own, which has allowed for a freeing up of space for valuable l land. The building provides all its own energy through the use of solar panels, and employs cross-ventilation oms cool. Warm water is provided through the use of a solar thermal heating system while the building is the Building Materials first in bangladesh to have Rammed its own two chamber septic tank.

Earth Walls

mboo forest

week four which were followed by a discussion and feedback about each project.

- taken from nearby river, lakes and ponds - mixed with straw for reinforcement -

Bamboo Secondary Structure / Walls / Rain Screen - from bamboo forests adjacent to the site - structural bamboo fastened with iron pins which are easily dismanteled for recycling - woven elements to reflect inductries of the local area Roofing - bamboo structure & substructure, 250mm coir fibre insulation, 80mm earthen layer, sheet metal roofing - bamboo structure, polycarbonate, dried palm leaves (shade) Foundations with damp proof course -

- masonry foundation water sources

handmade homes

paddi fields

Anna Heringer

Over

the

previous

week

I

had

worked

to

improve my presentation based on feedback given to the class. The main new peice of work which I added to my presentation was that

of

a

graphic

explaining

my

thoughts

on a circular economy, based on that which can be seen in David Benjamin's 'Embodied Energy and Design'. This graphic helped me to explain more clearly the options we have to embrace a circular economy which don't follow the usual path from cradle to grave.

I also included an explanation, in slide five, Building Materials Rammed Earth Walls - taken from nearby river, lakes and ponds - mixed with straw for reinforcement -

Bamboo Secondary Structure / Walls / Rain Screen - from bamboo forests adjacent to the site structural bamboo fastened with iron pins which are easily dismanteled for recycling - woven elements to reflect inductries of the local area -

Roofing ructure & substructure, 250mm coir fibre insulation, 80mm earthen layer, sheet metal roofing - bamboo structure, polycarbonate, dried palm leaves (shade) Foundations - masonry foundation with damp proof course -

of where I thought I would bring the project in the following weeks and how I intended on executing this.

Thesis Formation Reflection

The

feedback

presentation

that

was

I

very

received

after

informative

my

both

in

terms of defining the work I had completed to

It was advised that I begin to consider different precedents

which

deal

with

low

embodied

construction and how they execute this.

date as well as setting parameters for further investigation.

At this point in the semester I felt as though I had come to a point where I felt comfortable

The main elements which were discussed were

in my research and choice of subject and I

the idea of system design and the development

was looking forward to further developing these

of project resource mapping; be it regionally

ideas in the coming weeks. The idea of low

or country wide, as a process of defining the

embodied energy materials and processes

most appropriate way of designing economically

become increasingly interesting to me and the

in terms of energy for various applications.

prospect of working with innovative materials

had

and materials which show highly sustainable It was also noted that my thesis had scope to

properties, such as brettstapel timber, over the

become scientific in nature, testing materials

coming weeks was an exciting prospect.

for

their

appropriateness

in

low

embodied

energy design. This would result in a project which could be explored on numerous scales, running

from

the

scale

of

the

movement

of people and urban areas to the scale of building and detailing at 1:5 and 1:10.

The nature of my research being of both growth and degrowth also came into discussion. Growth in terms of the rise in urban populations and the increased urgent need for accommodation juxtaposed back

of

with

degrowth

production,

-

or

rethinking

the

scaling

conventional

forms of mass construction to develop new, less energy intensive methods of construction which rely less on the machine and more on human power.

36.

What Next?

01.

Specific material research

02.

Research

into

the

circular

economy

and cradle to cradle approach

03.

Looking into relevant precedent studies which

make

use

of

low

embodied

energy materials

04.

Research Ireland dealing

into and with

migration how an

we

in

are

and

to

currently

expanding

urban

population

LIVE,

Earth, Neutral

Thesis Testing

Testing: Current Populations in Ireland

Direct Provision Centres

This rise in population leads to an inevitable rise in the need for construction- as we have experienced in Dublin in recent years. It is

Taking into account the call to work at two different scale I began my 'thesis testing' by looking at the scale of the country and the scale

of

the

city,

roughly

1:2,000,000

and

important that we reassess the ways in which we

go

about

this

construction

in

order

to

lessen the continuing effect we are having on the environment.

1:100,000.

As the initial landing point in the country I I started by thinking about migration to and within Ireland and how this will add to and affect

urban

population

growth

as

well

as

patterns of movement throughout the country.

40.

first decided to explore the country's direct provision might them.

centres

have

an

and effect

how on

their those

positioning residing

in

BY COUNTY SLIGO Globe House, Chapel Hill MONAGHAN Saint Patricks LOUTH Carroll Village, Dundalk Mosney MAYO Old Convent, Abbey Street, Ballyhaunis GALWAY Eglington, Salthill, Galway Great Western House WESTMEATH Athlone DUBLIN Balseskin, St. Margarets, Co. Dublin Georgian Court, Dublin 01 The Towers, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 Watergate House, Dublin 08 Staircase, 21 Aungier Street, Dublin 02 Hatch Hall, Lower Hatch St. Dublin 02 KILDARE Eyre Powell, Newbridge LAOIS The Montague, Emo LIMERICK Westbourne, Dock Rd. Hanratty's, Glentworth Street Mount Trenchard, Foynes TIPPERARY Knockalisheen KERRY Atlas Tralee Atlas Killarney Park Lodge CORK Millstreet Clonakilty Lodge, Clonakilty Kinsale Rd. Glenvera, Wellington Rd. Ashbourne House, Glounthane WATERFORD Atlantic House, Tramore Birchwood, Ballytruckle Rd. Viking House Total Capacity

The Irish Times, 2014

CAPACITY 240 200 20 600 267 200 132 300 269 110 225 68 33 175 90 165 90 118 55 250 90 90 55 200 108 275 107 95 65 115 90 4,897

Population Density By County

CSO.ie, 2016

42.

DIRECT PROVISION CENTRES - DENSITY PEOPLE PER KM2 10 - 19 20 - 29

The majority of Direct provision centres are located in remote areas of the country, removed

30 - 39

from towns, cities and centres of commerce.

This leaves their inhabitants isolated without

40 - 49

sufficient access to services and interaction.

The new additions to the country therefore do

50 - 99

not get a chance to integrate into their new culture at the time when it is most important.

100 - 1000 1000+

Population Density Dublin

CSO, 2016 / WorldPopulationReview, 2019

44.

Sprawl The highest population density in the country lies in Dublin. Here, in some areas there is a density of 37,556 people per km2 as opposed to other areas in the country, where the density can be as low as 10 people per km2. This however, is somewhat of a misconception because in comparison to other major cities around the world; Dublin has a relatively low population density. This is largely due to urban sprawlpeople being drawn out of the city to the suburbs by the promise of a quieter lifestyle which comes with living outside of main thoroughfares.

Dublin 3,677 p/km2

Paris

Amsterdam

21,498 p/km2

4,908 p/km2

PEOPLE PER KM2 11 - 30 31 - 100 101 - 1000 1001 - 3000 3001 - 4000 4001 - 5000 5001 - 37556

Barcelona 16,000 p/km2

Change in Population Density

CSO, 2016

46.

Movement In recent years there has been a shift in the pattern of settlement in, and around Dublin. Rising house prices and rent levels have forced people to move further from the city centre resulting in rising densities along the commuter belt. This has further aggravated the issue of urban sprawl in Dublin. Is it time that Dublin embraces urban density and city living like so many other major cities throughout the world?

What impact could this have on reducing our effect on the environment?

Building

in

this

pattern

whilst

moving

further

from

the

city

centre

means further reliance on low density housing typologies such as the semi detached house. This is the housing typology I had assessed during thesis formation as having 16,000 kgco2e of embodied energy in its main structural elements and anywhere up to 80,000 kgco2e in its entire fabrication. If we were to provide continuously for the growing population with structures like this it will have a detrimental effect on climate change and thus a move to low/no embodied energy, high density construction is something which we should begin to look towards.

% POP CHANGE, ‘06 TO ‘11 -44% - 0% 1% - 5% 6% - 10% 11% - 20% 21% - 30% 31% - 223%

Land Use Dublin

Wicht, 2019

48.

Land Use Dublin, unlike many other major cities follows an unusual pattern for land use in the city centre. Many metropolitan cities adhere to the concept of shared usage within the city itself, this leads to a variety of buildings which hold more than one service, mixing business and commerce

on

ground

floor

with

residential

on

upper

floors.

This

however has not been the way in which Dublin has developed; due to the high levels of tenements throughout the city in the 19th and 20th centuries inner city living became seen as unfashionable with middle classes and the more well off opting to settle further from the city.

Once these tenements were cleared in the early 1900's, moving their inhabitants to newly built suburbs such as Drimnagh and Crumlin, the city became void of residential options. This is

a scenario which is

only beginning to change in recent years with the development areas such as Grand Canal Dock.

LAND USE KEY Green Urban Areas

Discontinuous Medium Density Urban Fabric

Sports/Leisure Facilities

Discontinuous Dense Urban Fabric

Wetlands

Industrial/Commercial

Land without current use

Continuous Urban Fabric

Port Areas

Pastures

Herbaceous Vegetaition Associations

D-

239 €m

NY - 558 €m MA

K - 1,526 €m EU m 7€

€m

IN

A - 500 HIN

ITAL Y 18 €m -1

m 1€

TH

M LGIU - 13 BE

€m

HOLLAN

GE R

D LAN - 107 RE

NCE - 90 RA

SPA

C

50.

CSO, 2018 111 €m

F

S - 1,296 € EU

m

TH

RTHERN I NO

Ireland’s Imports Over 100€m

Imports and the Sourcing of Goods After

assessing

the

movement

and

location

of

people

around

the

country I began to think about the movement of goods to Ireland and the impact their long travel lengths has on the embodied energy of the item.

I

collected

information

from

the

central

statistics

office

about

the

countries from which Ireland imports the most goods and compiled the cluster map on the opposite page as a way of illustrating this. Ireland imports the majority of its goods from Europe with a huge concentration on the UK, something which may change with the oncoming of brexit - leaving us to find solutions from further afield which would result in higher levels of energy embodied in those items.

Additionally as a country we rely heavily on imports from the US and China with import figures being €1,296 million and €500 million in 2018 respectively.

Although these figures are not for construction materials alone, they show the potential Ireland has for localising the sourcing of goods.

Week 05 Reflection

This week I worked at a scale much smaller than that which I would be used to. I found this to be very interesting as I took the week to look at factors which affect the ways in which

we

areas

of

tackle high

providing

urban

infrastructure

growth.

To

in

juxtapose

our patterns of growth with those of other major cities points to differing views on land ownership and preferred housing typologies.

I hope to use this information as a vehicle for experimenting with forms of low/no embodied energy construction in an attempt to illustrate the positive change we can have on the current predictions for the future of the environment.

I plan on building on this information in the coming week through the testing of precedent studies. My aim is to research a number of residential structures which use low embodied energy construction methods and to draw each of their typical makeups in order to juxtapose this against the conventional building studying I completed in week three.

52.

A Circular Economy

The list of possibilities is in-exhaustive but includes ideas such as reuse, exchange, return, retrade, My first thought after looking into patterns of settlement and growth in Ireland and how we currently cater to and provide infrastructure for growing urban populations was to think of

alternative

methods

of

construction

and

development which would be less harmful to the environment.

I

began

to

explore

in

depth,

the

idea

of

depicting

I

illustrated

possible

the

opposite

scenarios

arising

graphic from

a

circular economy based on an image which was included in David Benjamin's 'Embodied Endergy and Design'.

path of production for construction materials, from

development

to

disposal,

or

cradle

to

grave. This line of development currently takes precedent

in

the

world

of

construction

but

by no means needs to be the only solution, Juxtaposed

in

blue

is

a

list

of

alternative

solutions to the production and supply chain which, if implemented would change it from a linear to a circular approach. This would allow for the reintroduction of already used materials back into the supply chain, reducing the need for new production and thus lowering the amount of energy used.

54.

this

remarket

way

of

thinking

about

the

process

of

production that I would choose a number of these

potential

actions

to

research

through

precedent for the week.

The

ideas

I

chose

to

remanufacture,

Reimagine

took

look

into

rethink,

on

the

were,

reimagine.

idea

of

the

development of new and innovative materials such

as

Rethink of to

In black, the graphic shows the conventional

remanufacture,

and upcycle. I decided after researching into

recycle,

a circular economy and a cradle to cradle approach.

refurbish,

mycelium

revolved

more

new,

solutions,

such

Remanufacture taking it the

of

into

around

conventional

form

based

methods

embodied

energy

low

as

new

waste

dowel

assessed

laminated

the waste

building

bricks

reconsidering

construction

construction

a

the

composites.

idea and

material,

made

by

timber.

of

the

turning such

as

'StoneCycling'.

Recycle looked at the idea of reusing building elements

which

have

already

reached

the

end of their useful life. This could include the

use

of

reclaimed

timber

for

flooring,

second hand windows, or recycled concrete.

I also decided to look at The Cork House as an example of no embodied energy construction.

A Circular Econo Sourcing cy

c

Re cy cl e

/

Up

Re tu rn

le

Rema

ure nufact

Product Develpoment

Manufacturing

How m form its archite by

Refurbish / Remarke t / Res ell E xc h a n g U se / e

Disposal Reuse

Re

ir / Upgr pa ad Re

e

tr ad e

Marketing & Sales r tu Re

n

Construction

W H AT

Em

Sustainable Material - Cork

The Cork House MPH Architects

-

Berkshire UK

Embodied Carbon Equivalent: -17kgco2e/m2 An Innovative plant-based house designed for disassembly.

This

building

is

a

prototype

for

a self-build construction pack which can be assembled without mortar or glue making it easily disassembled and thus a high-performing example of a cradle to cradle construction methodology.

Cork is an extremely sustainable material as, in its harvesting the tree is not harmed in any way. Cork as a material acts as a carbon sink by

sequestering

carbon

within

itself,

due

to

the nature of the cork tree being able to be continuously reharvested over its lifetime each plant prevents a huge amount fo carbon from being released into our atmosphere. The cork used in the cork house sustains the Mediterranean cork

oak

landscapes

and

is

harvested

every

nine years without disturbing the forest.

The

buildings

use

of

a

single

bio-renewable

material removes the need for numerous carbon heavy sub layers such as DPC, plaster board and

insulation.

allows for reducing cooling

the and

mass

construction

also

very good thermal performance need the

(Howland, 2019).

56.

This

for

mechanically

associated

carbon

heating/ footprint

Re-Manufacture - Waste Bricks

The Rubble House Architectuur Maken

-

Rotterdam

Embodied Carbon Equivalent:

Negitave

This house was designed and built by Dutch architects, Architectuur Maken, as their home. Its structure uses conventional methods of concrete construction

but

the

innovative

design

aspect

revolves around the buildings cladding system.

The architects wanted to source bricks which would in some way reduce the embodied carbon of the build - as clay bricks have one of the highest levels of embodied carbon due to their need to be fired at extremely high temperatures.

The bricks in this building come from a company called 'StoneCycling' which is based locally in Eindhoven.

The

company

collected

15

tonnes

of industrial waste from a 100-mile radius of their

factory

which

included

glass,

ceramics

and clay. They compacted these materials to form the thousands of bricks which cover the facade of the building, allowing it to blend in with its neighbouring structures without the use of

newly

fabricated

bricks

which

would

emit

further carbon into the atmosphere.

This

method

materials

which

of

fabrication

would

originally

also have

means been

destined for landfill are given a new lease of life - reducing volumes of construction waste.

(ArchitectuurMaken.nl, 2018)

58.

Recycle - Concrete/Glass/Timber

UpCycle Studios Lendager Group

-

Total co2 Emissions: Upcycle

Studios

-60% over 50 years 20

In terms of material Upcycle studios uses a

townhouses in a suburb of Copenhagen. The

huge percentage of recycled substances. 75%

project explores the concept of waste being

of the windows are from nearby abandoned

a

construction

buildings. 1400 tons of concrete was cast from

industry, a notion which is in line with the

concrete waste collected after the construction

thinking of circular economy. Circular economy

of the Copenhagen Metro and the floors, walls

explores

and facades are made from otherwise wasted

valuable

is

Copenhagen

asset

the

to

idea

a

the

that

collection

future

all

of

materials

and

products used in construction should have a continuous

lifecycle,

and

that

their

timber offcuts.

journey

is not finite once they have been used in a

Not only is the building sustainable in terms

structure. Once the life of that structure is

of

over, those materials should be able to be

terms of use. The dwellings are designed to

reclaimed and reused in other ways in order

be adaptable, with the ability to mix living

to reduce the amount of newly manufactured

and working on many scales, as well as the

materials we have in the world, as each newly

chance

made substance adds more and more carbon

of

into our atmosphere.

use

materials

growth from emissions by looking at waste as a resource. We can build sustainable buildings without

having

to

compromise

on

quality,

aesthetics or price.(lendager.com, 2018)

60.

construction

to

divide

dwellings

smaller

living

spaces.

ensures

structure, 'Upcycle Studios shows how we can decouple

and

the

future

hopefully

(lendager.com, 2018).

but

into

This

a

in

number

flexibility

adaptability

preventing

also

of

of the

obsolescence

Re-Imagine - Biofabrication

The Soft House Kennedy & Violich

-

Hamburg

Embodied Carbon Equivalent:

Negitave

The soft house is a number of terraced live/

The use of an all timber construction means

work

that

spaces

2013.

Hamburg

main

structural

elements

actually

passive haus standards.

it from being released into the atmosphere.

energy

Not only is the building efficient in the sense of

the building uses dowel laminated timber as

embodied energy but it also employs numerous

its primary structural element. This acts much

factors

the same as CLT but involves no glue or nails

sustainable

which

photovoltaics on the roof which change position

makes

it

and

extremely

embodied

of

the

the wood itself sequesters carbon, preventing

material

construction

in

development explores a new way to adhere to

of

and

opened

have negative levels of embodied carbon as

terms

design

which

the

In

The

in

low

in

embodied

which

allow

also.

It

it

to

has

be

operationally

inbuilt

flexible

film

carbon. The timber panels instead are formed

to

through

is passively ventilated and employs a varied

spruce

the

use

pieces

of

which

sustainable are

held

soft

together

wood with

get

facade

optimal

which

sun

exposure.

involves

a

set

The

of

building

changeable

hard wood dowels which expand when they

material louvers which respond to daily and

come into contact with the moisture content

seasonal changes in the weather.(Kvarch.net,

in

2014)

the

spruce

elements

and

together.

thus The

hold lack

the of

structural

interference

with the timber means it can be fully recycled at the end of the building's useful life.

62.

Re-Think - Dowel Laminated Timber

The Hy-Fi MoMA David Benjamin

-

New York City

Embodied Carbon Equivalent:

Negligable

The Hy-Fi building at the Museum of Modern

mycelium as a bonding agent means bricks

Art in New York City is a collaborative design

do not need to be fired at high temperatures

between architect David Benjamin of The Living

and harmful bonding agents do not need to

and

be used. It is an extremely efficient form of

plant-based

manufacturing

company

Ecovative.

construction and each brick can take as little as 5 days to make.

The

tower,

designed

micro-climate

to

throughout

create

a

'pleasant

summer'

employs

The

building's

use

of

natural

materials

natural ventilation through its designed stack

fully embraces the idea of cradle to cradle

effect and deliberate gaps in brickwork.

At

construction as it thinks not only of how the

the top of the building bricks are coated in a

material is produced but also what can happen

reflective material developed by firm 3M which

to

bounces light back down into the heart of the

life is over. In this instance the bricks are

structure.

fully compostable and thus their fabrication,

the

material

once

the

building's

useful

use, nor disposal have any impact on carbon The structure of the building is constructed of

emissions into our environment.

organic, biodegradable bricks which are grown in special molds using agricultural waste and

'The structure temporarily diverts the natural

mycelium, part of the mushroom plant. The

carbon cycle to produce a building that grows

mycelium under the right circumstances begins

out of nothing but earth and returns to nothing

to

but earth-with no waste, no energy, and no

digest

the

agricultural

waste,

binding

it

together to form structural bricks. The use of

64.

carbon emissions.'(MOMA.org, 2014)

Week 06 Reflection

I

found

my

research

implementation realised in

built

garnering

process

of

a

projects an

works

in

this

week

circular to

be

the

real

the

economy

very

understanding

into

of

world

in

beneficial how and

this how,

going forward, I could potentially use these processes in different ways during the design process.

This work has also helped me to illustrate to others more clearly how a circular economy can

be

implemented

in

construction

and

how this approach is not just a concept but something which is being realised in projects the world over.

During my tutorial at the end of week six it was suggested that I now take this information and relate it to the Irish context to develop a location specific concept for low embodied energy construction. It was also suggested that I begin to design in some way, not particularly to be tied down to a site or even typology but to design in terms of material in order to test their ability to act in design.

I decided to take this advice as the running force of the following week in order to look at materials more critically in relation to an Irish context.

66.

Re-Think - Dowel Laminated Timber The Island as a Resource Forestry In Ireland

Coford & TEAGASC

68.

1:2,000,000

LOCATION OF BOARD MILLS AND SAWMILLS

The

possibility

dowel is

for

laminated

quite

relatively

high. low

the

development

timber

This

is

industry

because,

percentage

of

in

of

Ireland

despite

tree

the

cover

our we

have high levels of soft wood species such as spruce, which are perfect for use as the mass elements in DLT construction.

In relation to timber processing, the country has ample plants including both sawmills and board mills which could be implemented for use in the processing of the timber elements for DLT construction.

Sawmills Board Mills

TREE SPECIES (%) Spruce (57%) Spruce/Pine mix (8%) (18%) Pine (11%) (57%) (11%) (8%)

Larch (1%) Other Conifers (2%) Beech (1%) Oak (2%) Other Broadleaves (18%)

The Island as a Resource Farming Land Use

EPA, Ireland

70.

Pastures

Agri. & Natural Veg.

Arable

Complex Cultivation

1:2,000,000

Ireland is well known for its high levels of

LOCATION OF MUSHROOM PRODUCERS

agriculture. A large proportion of the landmass of the country is used for the purpose of farming omitted

and in

this

areas

industry of

poor

is soil

usually

only

quality

and 01

dense urban areas. This dense farming fabric 11

means

throughout

the

country

there

would

10

be huge numbers of agricultural waste which

08 13

could be re-purposed. Partnerships could be developed

around

the

country

with

farmers 04

and their waste materials used in mycelium

13 13

composite development.

02 05

There are also numerous mushroom producers on the island who initially may be able to provide mycelium to a developing agricultural waste industry

for

the

production

0703 0609 12

of

biofabricated

construction materials.

01. Annaghmore Mushrooms, Lurgan, Co. Armagh 02. Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms Ltd. Michelstown, Co. Cork 03. Button Farm Mushrooms, Markethill, Co. Armagh 04. Codd Mushrooms, Tullow, Co. Carlow 05. Fancy Fungi, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford 06. Goldcircle Mushrooms, Tiernaneill, Co. Monaghan 07. Hughes Mushrooms Ltd, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone 08. Kerrigan's Mushrooms, Cortown, Kells, Co. Meath 09. Monaghan Mushrooms, Tyholland, Co. Monaghan 10. O'Neill Mushrooms, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan 11. Swanlinbar Mushrooms, Swanlinbar, Co. Cavan 12. Tyholland Mushrooms, Tyholland, Co. Monaghan 13. Walsh Mushrooms, Wexford/Tipperary/Westmeath

The Island as a Resource Construction Waste

PROJECTS COMMENCED IN DUBLIN IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS buildinginfo.com

72.

1:100,000

One of the most clear elements of a circular economy is the reuse of materials which have come to the end of their useful life in another structure. In Dublin in the past three months 176 projects -from small scale fitouts and extensions to multi-million euro structures- have gone to site. The amount of waste that will be produced throughout the process of their construction is immense and can be highlighted by the fact that 30% of waste brought to landfills in the EU is construction waste (europa.eu, 2019). The development of a system related to the collection and re-trading of these materials could be the first step in a mass-move to a more cradle to cradle centric economy in Ireland.

There is the possibility that secondhand materials could become the first point of call for architects in the future, with designs revolving around what is directly available to them.

NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH HAVE COMMENCED IN THE...

LAST 30 DAYS

DUBLIN

IRELAND

LAST 3 MONTHS

662

188

176

46

A Material-Centric Section

Drawing on the information I had gathered at the start of the week I decided to develop a section to explore the functionality of these materials

and

how,

if

used

in

conjunction

with other low embodied energy materials, a fully

energy

efficient

construction

could

be

achieved.

With

the

idea

of

housing

a

growing

urban

population as a vehicle for testing this low embodied energy form of construction I decided to develop a section of a multistory structure which could be used as housing but was not site specific. More so an instrument for testing the validity of the different materials.

In

this

section

is

dowel

the

laminated

main

structural

timber,

this

element

makes

up

the wall panels as well as floors. Cladding at

ground

floor

consists

of

reclaimed

or

biofabricated brick which could be determined based on the local availability of either. The concrete slab and foundations include recycled concrete aggregate and rigid insulation used in floors and ceilings could consist of wood fibre

panels,

whilst

using

cellulose

floors

of

the

the

walls

insulation. structure

are

Finally

are

clad

insulated the in

upper vertical

timber elements which are treated with a biobased weatherproofing called Kebony (Kebony. com, 2019).

74.

Possible Usage of Low Embodied Energy Materials

KEBONY TREATED TIMBER CLADDING

WOOD FIBRE INSULATION

CELLULOSE INSULATION

DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER

BIOFABRICATED BRICK

RECYCLED/RECONSTITUTED BRICK

REMANUFACTURERED CONCRETE

Elevation & Section 1:20

1:20 @ A1

Week 07 Reflection

This

week

after

the

It was mentioned also not to forget the spacial

development and use of low embodied energy

implications of each of the materials and to

materials

let the resulting design reflect the materials

in

focusing

Ireland

I

was

directly

able

on

to

garner

an idea of the steps behind this processes

from

and the potential materials which might be

point I had struggled with in week seven as

best suited to implement this into Ireland's

I was unhappy with the fact that my material

construction industry.

section

which

more

it

is

made.

closely

This

resembled

had

been

a

conventional

construction methods rather than reflecting the Our tutorials at the end of the week were in

the

form

of

group

pin

up

presentations

and the continuation of this each Friday for the coming weeks acted as welcome practice sessions

for

the

final

reviews.

It

was

also

very interesting and inspiring to listen to the reviews of the others in the group and get a sense of where everyone was at.

During my review it was suggested that I look more closely at the qualities and aesthetics of the materials and how they would work together in a more architectural sense, rather than solely focusing on the technical abilities of the materials. This was something I had noted as important during the week and so I hoped to have a piece of work which looked more closely at these qualities ready for final reviews.

76.

innovative materials from which it was built.

Silk Pavillion

The Silk Pavilion

78.

In

an

reviews,

which were placed on a framework and who,

the

innovative

over the space of a number of weeks, spun

energy

materials

enough silk to encompass the framework. This

and processes I decided to draw the evolution

shell could then be removed and was hung

of the Silk Pavilion by Neri Oxman which was

from the ceiling and acts as an example of a

developed in the MIT Media Lab in America.

truly sustainable material which fully embraces

tutorials thinking

attempt and behind

to

illustrate

presentations many

low

during

cradle to cradle thinking.

This pavilion was fabricated by silk worms

Testing Mycelium Bricks

After

looking

at

Ireland

and

its

material

resources in week seven, I decided to move to a bigger scale this week. I wanted to hone in on one of the materials which I had been researching in the previous weeks. Throughout my research I had developed an understanding of

the

process

of

fabricating

bricks

from

mycelium composites and so I decided that I would spend the week developing my own bricks. In order to test how the process works and also to assess the end material product.

After finding it difficult to source mycelium in Ireland, I ordered it from a producer in Scotland as I did not have time to cultivate it myself, which was also an option. All other items needed were easily sourced such as the woody substrate, or agricultural waste which I sourced from a local pet shop.

On the opposite page is an infographic I made which outlines the step by step process to the making of the brick. The following pages show pictures of the process, including the sterilisation of the substrate and the packing of the mold.

80.

BIOFABRICATION - MYCELIUM BRICKS NO. 01

b

a

c

d

PASTURISE [a-c] Boil substrate in a white pillow case for 30minutes [d] Drain water [e] Leave substrate to cool in pot until 30-35c

e

f

[f] *Keep lid closed to avoid contamination

NO. 02 g

DISINFECT

NO. 03

[g] Disinfect mixing bowl, surfaces, mold & gloves. *Work quickly and in the

h

vicinity of a vertical flame [h] Line mold with cling film [i-j] Weigh out mushroom spawn to 10% of substrate wet-weight

i

[k-m] Add cooled substrate to bowl,

j

mix thoroughly and quickly to make a homogeneous mixture [n-o] Quickly pack into mold and close

k

l

disinfected lid

m

[p] Tape up any seams & leave in a dark space at 20-30c for 5-14 days

prepare n

o

p

Testing Mycelium Bricks

82.

Mycelium Brick Progression

1

7

14

19

The

growth

of

the

mycelium

(white

matter)

can be seen developing as the days progress.

84.

Week 08 Reflection

The a

process

mycelium

extremely

of

researching

composite

interesting.

brick I

think

and this

producing week

that

During my tutorial at the end of week eight

was

it was advised that I develop some way to

exploring

graphically represent the potential of each of

innovations like these highlights how reliant we

the

are on the familiarity of conventional building

been

methods and forms of representation.

compared

materials

and

researching and

building so

they

understood.

methods could I

I

be

needed

have easily to,

at

this stage 'evaluate their appropriateness' in I

was

struck

by

the

ease

of

the

process

different

scenarios.

I

decided

that

I

would

of making the brick and how quickly each

tackle

mold could be finished and left to incubate.

in order to make my research as clear and

It is easy to see how the process could be

comprehensible as possible.

rolled out on a much larger scale and how it could work quickly and efficiently whilst using minimal energy.

Unfortunately, as I am making this at home I don't have adequate incubation facilities to keep the bricks at 27 degrees, this means that they are progressing much more slowly than the five day target. I hope that following the development of these bricks I might be able to find conditions more suited to their growth in order to further experiment with this material in the coming semester.

this

question

in

the

following

week

Material Properties

After taking week eight to test the development of

my

own

mycelium

composite

brick

and

following guidance given to me in my tutorial I wanted this week to create a clear foundation for the research I had done to date. It was important to me to be able to visually represent the properties of the different materials I had been

looking

into

in

a

way

in

which

they

would be easily comparable.

I decided to create fact sheets on each of the materials and processes which I had previously outlined as potentially viable for development in Ireland including dowel laminated timber, mycelium composites and construction waste.

In addition to this I wanted to further explore the idea of recycled concrete as a tributary of

construction

waste

which

is

something

unto itself. The process of reusing concrete was something which I found very interesting in

my

research

and

was

something

which

continuously came up in tutorials. As a control I

also

cork,

wanted although

to not

create viable

a for

fact

sheet

production

for in

Ireland I viewed it as an important point of comparison

because of its exceptionally low

levels of embodied energy.

86.

Brettstapel

Aisling Mulligan

Thesis Idea

Dowel Laminated Timber - Brettstaple

Thermal Conductivity : 0.13 W/(mk) Density : 450 kg/m3 Heat Storage Capacity : 1.6 kj/(kg*k)

Profiles

R-Value : 0.22m² k/w per 25m

1:20

Acoustic Rating : 70% Moisture Content : 15-19% at time of manufacture Reveal Edge

Acoustic Profile

Fluted Profile

Chamfered Edge

Squared Edge

Timber Absorbs

VCOs

A Healthier Indoor Environment

Volatile Organic Compounds Build Ups 1:20

Using 1sqm of Dowel Laminated Timber Intermediate floor instead of : Exterior

Exterior wall with rendered facade

wall with timber cladding

construction

Nail Laminated Timber saves 400 nails

Glulam saves 4m² of glue

Prefabrication Very Fast Construction Time

2hr Fire Rating

Largest Panel Size

3600

18000

Indoor Humidity Levels

Moisture can pass through the layers without condensing between them

Hygroscopic

. Sohm-Holzbau.at . longin.at . Simonson (2003) . Thoma . Wood Knowledge Wales .

Dowel laminated timber as it is a mass timber

x 3.6m with a usual span of ~7m. Placement

structural element, has a very good thermal

of the dowels at diagonals can even further

mass

insulative

improve its performance. DLT is even more

elements

sustainable

and

properties.

also In

has

some

quite cases,

good if

the

than

its

more

well

known

are thick enough ~300mm, no insulation is

counterparts glulam and CLT as it saves for

required. DLT has very low embodied energy

the need of adhesives and glues and its mass

due

sequester

nature makes it a very healthy material as it

carbon i.e. storing it, thus removing it from

removes VCO's from indoor air and is vapour

the atmosphere. DLT panels can be up to 18m

permeable.

to

mass

timber's

ability

to

Mycelium Composites

Thermal Conductivity : 0.078 - 0.081 W/(mk) Density : 315 kg/m3 Water Absorption Rate : 0.073-0.0113 mm/s1/2 Acoustic Absorption : 70-75% @ 1000Hz

Thermal conductivity comparable to that of many insulative materials Compressive Strength [MPa] Mycelium Composite

14

Agglomerated Cork

6-12 x cheaper

aus$40/m3

10-20

- 81/m3

vs

than synthetic insulation

aus$491/m3

- 630/m3

Safer & more healthy than synthetic counterparts

Reusable Molds Can be ready in 5 days

Can tune strength, density & hardness by varying factors such as substrate, temperature and light

Can grow on virtually any woody substrate . Straw . Hemp . Hay . Sawdust . Flax . Wheat Grains . Rice Hulls .

. Building a Living House . A Conversation on Mushrooms . David Benjamin Breaks the Mold .

Mycelium composites make use of agricultural

performs

waste and the root of the mushroom plant to

and

scorches

make a material which can take the form of

fire.

The

any shape due to the binding properties of

composites is around 14MPa, similar to that

mycelium. It acts very well thermally, having a

of agglomerated cork, used in the cork house

similar thermal conductivity as many insulative

and

materials making it a possible replacement for

manner. The end product is fully compostable

high embodied energy insulatives. It also

thus making it a material which truly embraces

88.

so

well

as

an

rather

compressive

structurally

acoustic

than

burning

strength

would

absorber

act

the cradle to cradle approach.

of

in

during

mycelium

a

similar

Construction Waste Ireland

70% should be recycled by

98% can be

A promised move to a circular economy by 2020

recycled

2020 A Successful Example: Denmark recycles 87% of construction waste

=

€10

€7.5 billion could be annually

saved in the EU

^ IN CONSTRUCTION = ^ IN WASTE

2007 Construction Household 18m 2m tonnes tonnes

Landfills 2007 2017 30

5

Possible Actions Bring back construction waste recycling centres

Large contractors set up ancillary operation

Before recession CDW recycling plants around country

Would improve their Green Building Credentials

Difficult to Lack of trust in promote interest quality

. The European Commission . Irish Waste Management Association . Constructionnews.ie .

The

waste

produced

from

construction

and

EPA.ie .

and the Irish Waste Management Association

demolition in Ireland could prove to be a huge

have

asset in the future if dealt with correctly. The

economy by next year.

European Commission have stated that by 2020

If we are to embrace the reuse of construction

all countries in the EU should recycle at least

materials we could see huge savings both in

70% of their construction waste, although up

money and energy. Construction waste recycling

to 98% of this type of waste has the capacity

centres could see the start of a new language

to be recycled. The amount of landfills in the

of construction in Ireland.

country has decreased dramatically since 2007

promised

a

move

to

a

more

circular

Recycled Concrete

Previously used concrete crushed to form coarse aggregate [RCA]

Cement

Aggregates

Admixture

No effect on mechanical properties if:

Water

RCA ≤ 30% of total aggregates

Two Stage Mixing Approach [TSMA]

Improved Quality of RCA Concrete

Add 1/2 of the water

Add 1/2 of the water

Natural Aggegate

RCA

Mix 60sec

1000kg

Add Cement

Mix 60sec

= $1-$18

Mix 30sec

Mix 120sec

Use of RCA in Hong Kong: Reduces Greenhouse Gas Footprint by up to 65%

Possible savings of up to 60%

65%

. Environmental Council of Concrete . Hossain et al (2016) . Tam et al . Evangelista & de Brito .

The

production

amounts

energy

concrete which

in

relies turn

on

huge

the

concrete

has

<30%

RCA

it

should

not

damages

affect its mechanical properties. A two stage

our environment. In order to embrace a true

mixing approach can be used which improves

circular economy we should look at the recycling

the quality of RCA concrete.

of concrete which has come to the end of

The use of RCA concrete has the capacity to

its useful life. Concrete can be crushed and

drastically

made into course aggregate [RCA] which can

which

then be use to make new concrete matter. If

the use of RCA has seen a 65% reduction in

90.

of

of

has

emissions.

reduce been

greenhouse seen

in

gas

Hong

emissions

Kong

where

Cork

Thermal Conductivity : 0.040 W/(mk) Density : 150-160 kg/m3 Young’s Modulus : 10-20 MPa Acoustic Absorption : 33% @ 500Hz

Cork Trees grow in warm Mediterranean areas of Southern Europe and Northern Africa

SEQUESTERS CO2 Cork as a material acts as a carbon sink - holding onto carbon after harvesting

The bark of a cork tree regenerates and so can be re-harvested every 9 years.

Each tree can thus be harvested 20 times

0.5 CO2 Emission

-0.5

CO2 Sequestration

-1.0 -1.5

Mean level of embodied carbon

-2.0

. Cork as a Building Material . Delft - Natural Cork Bottle Stoppers . Young, Hugh. University Physics .

Cork as a material has been used for centuries

in production as well as a lack of destruction

in many different iterations but only recently

of the tree species themselves.

has been seen as a structural building material.

Its highly renewable nature coupled with its

Unfortunately

carbon sequestration makes it extremely low

specific, only growing in certain areas of the

in

Mediterranean and thus would not be suitable

embodied

energy.

The

harvesting

of

the

cork

trees

are

very

location

bark of the cork tree does not kill the tree

for

and this bark regrows allowing it to be re-

Ireland, due to longer transportation distances.

harvested, this ensures a quick turn around

low

embodied

energy

construction

in

Week 09 Reflection

Through assessing the properties of the main

During my review at the end of the week it

low

was noted that I should pin up the material

I

embodied

had

been

findings

energy

construction

researching

into

a

and

number

of

materials

collating fact

these

sheets

it

property research rather than providing it in booklet

form

as

this

would

make

it

easier

became easier to visualise their uses, not only

for the audience to visualise during the final

for myself but also during tutorials. The act

review. It was also mentioned that my project

of making the fact sheets meant I learnt even

lacked an example of the aesthetics of the

more about each of the materials in a factual

materials and would benefit from a piece of

way

work which would express how the different

that

I

had

not,

until

this

point,

fully

explored. As a final element of comparison

materials

I

architecturally.

put

page

together as

a

the

charts

means

of

on

quickly

the

opposite

would

work

together

visually

and

determining

the properties and qualities of the different

This advice, coupled with that which I had

materials against each other. For my tutorial

received

in week nine I collated these fact sheets and

me to look into the design of a prototype

charts into a materials booklet which could be

section

passed around while I presented.

closely at the interaction of materials, their

a

once

few

weeks

again

this

previous

time

looking

appropriateness and their properties.

My research further compounded for me the possibilities for the use of dowel laminated timber as a low embodied energy structural element. Also I became more aware of the possibility of the use of mycelium composites for building insulation due to it's good thermal properties.

Additionally

it

reinforced

for

me

the importance of the reuse of construction waste and the positive impact this can have on reducing the embodied energy of materials. there is a possibility that recycled materials could become a valuable asset for all new building

projects,

no

embodied

low

sourced.

92.

filling

in

energy

the

gaps

materials

where

can

be

prompted

more

Cellulose Woodfibre Polyurethane

Concrete

Brick

CLT

Glass

Brick

0.1

Wood Wool

0.2 Glulam

0.3

Cellulose

0.4 CLT

0.5

Polyurethane

0.6 Concrete

0.7

Rock Wool

0.8 Cork

0.9

EPS Foam Slab

1.0 Brettstapel

-2

Cork

-1

Polyurethane

Fibreglass

Brick

Concrete

CLT

Glulam

Thatch

Steel

Double Glazing

Cork

Brettstapel

Mycelium Brick

1

Mycelium Brick

Embodied Energy (KgCO2e/Kg

3

Brettstapel

Density

4

Mycelium Brick

Thermal Conductivity W/(mk)

5 Figures include sequestered carbon

2

nt ie c ffi h su rc In sea re

2500

2250

2000

1750

1500

1250

1000

750

500

250

ICE Database

Dowel Laminated Timber Fabrication

In order to give an example of the functionality of dowel laminated timber and to explore the process of its fabrication and how it works as a mass structural element I wanted to create a small piece of DLT myself.

In the building lab I cut a piece of soft wood into sections and did the same with a bamboo dowel, as it was the only one which has a corresponding drill bit in terms of diameter.

Using a stationary drill I drilled three holes at equal spacings through two of the pieces of soft wood at once. Keeping the soft wood pieces together so that the holes lined up I placed the first dowel and using a mallet, tapped it into place. I did this for all three dowels and then evened it off with the band saw so that the dowels were equal lengths on either side.

Once the dowels were in place the soft wood elements are impossible to pull apart given the friction fitting of the dowels against the timber.

94.

Material Exploration - Aesthetics & Uses

based weatherproofing called Kebony. On the upper

floors

thatch

has

been

used

as

a

cladding element, thatch has the potential to be very low in embodied energy as it can make

use

of

locally

sourced

materials

and

labour.

To the interior the DLT is exposed on all structural A

common

tutorials

vein

in

of

previous

conversation weeks

my

walls and partition walls are constructed from

around

a timber frame with mycelium composite infill

during

revolved

the expression of the materials and how they

panels

which

act

as

thermal

appear aesthetically when placed together in

insulators between rooms.

and

acoustic

a structure.

Section 02

explores

the

use

of

mycelium

This week in preparation for the final reviews

composite blocks as mass structural elements.

I

The

wanted

to

create

a

piece

which

explored

fact

that

mycelium

this question. I decided to develop two non

agglomerated

programme-specific

prototypes,

strengths

led

focusing on section and elevation. The first

language

for

mycelium

exploring

a

reflected

that

of

laminated

timber

building

multistory

building

structure

and

of the

dowel second

cork me

have to

composites

similar

develop

the

compressive a

structural

composites cork

and

house.

which Mass

blocks, molded with grooves can be slotted

exploring a possible way of building with mass

together

without

the

need

for

mortar,

their

mycelium composite blocks.

mass quality removes the need for additional layers of construction such as vapour barriers,

Section 01 explores the use of DLT as a

insulation and cladding, thus lowering the total

main structural element of the building. For

embodied energy of the building. In order to

insulation I have added mycelium composite

prevent rain water from constantly coming into

blocks to be placed on the exterior of the

contact with the facade, timber strata have

structural elements as a method of exploring the

been placed between every second block to

thermal capabilities of mycelium composites.

divert water from the surface.

This sort of insulation could be added in two ways, either conventionally after the structure

To

is erected or as part of a prefabricated wall

substructure of timber glulam elements was

element,

and

added to support interior floors of DLT and

rainscreen, the mycelium could grow to bind

the roof, this also allowed windows to be fixed

the structural panel together, eliminating the

to the vertical timber elements, removing this

need for ties and brackets.

burden from the mycelium blocks.

grown

between

the

structure

To the exterior at ground level there is vertical timber cladding which is coated in a bio-

96.

allow

the

structure

to

be

multistory

a

Section 01

MYCELIUM BASED PARTITION WALLS CONVENTIONAL TIMBER FRAME STRUCTURE MYCELIUM COMPOSITE INFILL PANELS Thermally Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Acoustically Insulative 75% @ 1000Hz

INTERFLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION 60mm DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER 200X50mm

EXTERIOR WALL BUILDUP DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER 150X50mm MYCELIUM COMPOSITE INSULATION BLOCKS 200mm Thermally Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Acoustically Insulative 75% @ 1000Hz Makes use of local agricultural waste Grown in blocks/panels and assembled on site -or-

Grown as part of a prefabricated structural wall, binding itself to structural DLT

WOOD FIBRE BOARD 12mm

THATCH CLADDING WOVEN INTO TIMBER CASSETTE FRAME

VERTICAL BATTENS HORIZONTAL BATTENS VERTICAL TIMBER CLADDING Kebony Treated - Biobased Weatherproofing

GROUND FLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION 150mm RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE SLAB & FOUNDATION ELEVATION 1:20

30% Coarse Recycled Aggregate (RCA)

SECTION 1:20

Section 02

MULTISTORY STRUCTURE GLULAM COLUMNS 300x100mm GLULAM BEAMS 300x100mm DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER FLOOR PANEL 200x50mm WINDOW FRAMES FIXED TO GLULAM STRUCTURE

SUB-STRUCTURE MYCELIUM COMPOUND BLOCKS 500x250mm Molded to allow easy assembly Thermally Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Mass construction removes need for insulation, cladding, barriers, battens etc. thus reducing embodied carbon TIMBER INLAYS TO DIVERT WATER FROM SURFACE

GROUND FLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION 150mm RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE SLAB & FOUNDATION INTERIOR ELEVATION 1:20

EXTERIOR ELEVATION 1:20

SECTION 1:20

30% Coarse Recycled Aggregate (RCA) RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE UPSTAND To prevent structural elements from touching the ground

Drawings at larger scale on following pages

Material Exploration - Aesthetics & Uses

ELEVATION 1:20

98.

SECTION 1:20

MYCELIUM BASED MYCELIUM PARTITION BASED WALLS PARTITION WALLS CONVENTIONAL CONVENTIONAL TIMBER FRAME TIMBER STRUCTURE FRAME STRUCTURE MYCELIUM COMPOSITE MYCELIUM INFILL COMPOSITE PANELS INFILL PANELS Thermally Insulative Thermally 0.078W/(mk) Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Acoustically Insulative Acoustically 75% Insulative @ 1000Hz 75% @ 1000Hz

INTERFLOOR BUILDUP INTERFLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION WOOD FIBRE 60mm INSULATION 60mm DOWEL LAMINATED DOWEL TIMBER LAMINATED 200X50mm TIMBER 200X50mm

EXTERIOR WALLEXTERIOR BUILDUP WALL BUILDUP DOWEL LAMINATED DOWEL TIMBER LAMINATED 150X50mm TIMBER 150X50mm

MYCELIUM COMPOSITE MYCELIUM INSULATION COMPOSITE BLOCKS INSULATION 200mm BLOCKS 200mm Thermally Insulative Thermally 0.078W/(mk) Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Acoustically Insulative Acoustically 75% Insulative @ 1000Hz 75% @ 1000Hz Makes use of Makes local agricultural use of local waste agricultural waste

-or-

Grown in blocks/panels Grown in blocks/panels and assembledand on assembled site on -orGrown as partGrown of a prefabricated as part of a structural prefabricated structural wall, binding itself wall, to binding structural itself DLT to structural DLT

WOOD FIBRE BOARD WOOD 12mm FIBRE BOARD 12mm

THATCH CLADDING THATCH WOVEN CLADDING INTO TIMBER WOVEN CASSETTE INTO TIMBER FRAME CASSETTE

VERTICAL BATTENS VERTICAL BATTENS HORIZONTAL BATTENS HORIZONTAL BATTENS VERTICAL TIMBER VERTICAL CLADDING TIMBER CLADDING Kebony TreatedKebony - Biobased TreatedWeatherproofing - Biobased Weatherproofing

GROUND FLOOR GROUND BUILDUPFLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION WOOD FIBRE 150mm INSULATION 150mm

RECYCLED AGGREGATE RECYCLED CONCRETE AGGREGATE SLAB CONCRETE & FOUNDATION SLAB & FOUNDA SECTION 1:20

30% Coarse Recycled 30% Coarse Aggregate Recycled (RCA) Aggregate (RCA)

1:20 at A1

Material Exploration - Aesthetics & Uses

INTERIOR ELEVATION 1:20

100.

EXTERIOR ELEVATION 1:20

MULTISTORY STRUCTURE GLULAM COLUMNS 300x100mm GLULAM BEAMS 300x100mm DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER FLOOR PANEL 200x50mm WINDOW FRAMES FIXED TO GLULAM STRUCTURE

SUB-STRUCTURE MYCELIUM COMPOUND BLOCKS 500x250mm Molded to allow easy assembly Thermally Insulative 0.078W/(mk) Mass construction removes need for insulation, cladding, barriers, battens etc. thus reducing embodied carbon TIMBER INLAYS TO DIVERT WATER FROM SURFACE

GROUND FLOOR BUILDUP TIMBER FLOORING WOOD FIBRE INSULATION 150mm RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE SLAB & FOUNDATION SECTION 1:20

30% Coarse Recycled Aggregate (RCA) RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE UPSTAND To prevent structural elements from touching the ground

1:20 at A1

Final Review

My final review was on Thursday of week ten

occur

and

Cooke,

which has occurred recently in countries such

tutor to MArch1 and Sean McCabe of Think-

as China where construction rates are rising

Tank for Action on Social Change, along with

exponentially.

I

presented

my

ideas

to

Anna

to

prevent

the

overuse

of

concrete

Emmett and Fiona.

In

addition

to

these

topics

also

discussed

The discussion after my presentation was very

was

the

helpful in terms of determining a stance and

the

idea

method

semester

in the coming semester and the possibility of

two. The main points which were discussed

testing in more depth the material capabilities

included the possibility of the production of

of the different construction methods I have

mycelium composite materials at large scale

been

and whether this is already being done as well

composite building and further research into

as any potential drawbacks that the process

mass timber construction as well as continuing

might have.

research

for

continuation

through

possibility of

looking

into

low

further

embodied

into.

the

of

The

reuse

energy

testing

of

research

of

into

materials

mycelium

materials

which

have come to the end of their useful life and Also discussed was the idea of the perception

how this could be arranged and achieved with

of

a circular economy in mind.

materials,

do

we

design

with

clarity

as

to the processes used or do we use these new materials in a discrete way? How would people feel if they knew their house was made of

mushroom

derived

mycelium

composites?

There is a question of architectural language as well as determining what people want and balancing this with what is needed both in terms of energy efficiency and scope.

An interesting topic brought up by Sean McCabe was that of the introduction of low embodied energy

materials

into

developing

countries

where construction booms are forecast to

102.

Thoughts for Next Semester

Based on the feedback I have received over

mind

the last few weeks and at my final review

what architectural direction I would like my

there are a number of areas which I wish to

project to take, by hopefully letting the choice

explore in semester two in order to further

of materials guide this process.

and

to

conduct

further

research

into

develop my thesis.

In addition, I would be interested in further I hope to develop a contact with the science/

developing

engineering department in order to continue

construction materials and how this could be

my research into mycelium based composite

achieved in an Irish context

my

knowledge

of

the

reuse

of

materials. I hope that this would provide me with the right tools to properly fabricate and

In all, my intention is to develop an idea for

test different forms of the material in order

the

future

to further my knowledge on the subject and

one

which

its possible role in the future of construction.

construction whilst still maintaining low levels

of

the

Irish

embraces

construction

low

embodied

sector, energy

of operational energy consumption. I hope to I would very much like to get in contact with

do this through the continued research into

Beth Shotton to find out more about her work

new and innovative materials such as mycelium

and research into dowel laminated timber and

composites and dowel laminated timber and

its variety of capabilities.

the ways in which they could be integrated into use and development in Ireland. I hope to

In

terms

of

to

continue

architectural my

line

of

typology inquiry

I

intend

into

understand how this, coupled with the reuse

the

of construction materials could form a new

exponential growth of urban populations and

architectural language and method of design

the architecture that would result from catering

and construction throughout the country.

to this rise in numbers in a manner that does not rely on conventional, high energy building methods. With this in mind though, there has also

been

a

question

of

what

architectural

typology would be most fitting to explore these new

building

materials

and

methodologies

and whether it would be suited to residential architecture. Therefore I want to keep an open

104.

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