A little disappointed, even though I never expected to win, but still, not the greatest feeling to have (like I have time for an 8 day safari in India anyway). For the CODesign: A Future without Concrete competition, they didn't announce a winner as of this morning, but they did list 5 finalists.
Let's take a look:
GOgabioON: This project is based on building with recycled concrete, that uses broken down concrete pieces and builds walls out of them using wire cages (gabions).
Baghaus: Uses EarthBag wall systems (earth tamped into polypropylene bags), cob for detail and structural elements, recycled concrete or local stone for foundations, and bamboo thatch for the roof. Added is the idea of using the thorny branches of locally grown bamboo instead of barbed wire as a mortar for the earthbags.
Paperboo: Substitutes concrete with Papercrete, a mixture recycled paper and cement and reinforced with bamboo.
Ram///Bam: Uses rammed earth with bamboo reinforcement for structural building members.
ash = (c)ash: Reuses fly ash, collected as waste material from a coal burning power plant in Mettur, to make bricks. The brick kiln is powered by burning rice husks, which uses it's waste product, the rice husk ash, in the mortar for the home. The house uses a parabolic vault design to do away with reinforced concrete beams usually needed for roof support.
A lot of the projects (mine included) use bamboo for structural support. I love the idea in theory, but really have to wonder how it holds up in reality. Especially when it's embedded inside of a mud wall. If it starts to deteriorate at the foundation, there's little way of knowing, and a lot of expense in repair. I prefer when bamboo is used externally, so you can not only enjoy the beauty of the material, but also know exactly when it needs to be replaced.
I read about EarthBag technology when researching my entry. My biggest concern was the use of the polypropylene bags as casing for the soil. I applaud the use of what would normally be considered trash bags, but when the building gets torn down, can you easily separate the polypropylene from the earth? Does it leak toxins into the earth? There are natural alternatives to polypropylene bags, but I believe at this point these are made so they biodegrade after a period of time, and so not the most useful thing to use as a structural element.
A few of the projects use thatch as a roofing material, which is great in that it is cheap, local, and keeps the rain out. But what I've noticed is that there is a cultural stigma against the material, that only poor people build with it. Plus, it needs a lot of upkeep, repair, and problems with insects. Corrugated metal sheets, a material I absolutely hate, is much more desirable. I think the next competition should look at ways to reduce the use of that.
I like the idea of using broken down concrete pieces in wire cages as a building material. Over here in Germany, I see a lot of retaining walls built of wire cages filled with stone, and it's really a beautiful material. I love the recycle factor involved in this idea. Just open the cage and use the materials in a differently shaped cage for another project. It seems a little expensive though. I don't know about the availability of steel or its components, or ecological ramifications of using steel in that way, so I can't really comment.
Maybe some of you can...
Let's take a look:
GOgabioON: This project is based on building with recycled concrete, that uses broken down concrete pieces and builds walls out of them using wire cages (gabions).
Baghaus: Uses EarthBag wall systems (earth tamped into polypropylene bags), cob for detail and structural elements, recycled concrete or local stone for foundations, and bamboo thatch for the roof. Added is the idea of using the thorny branches of locally grown bamboo instead of barbed wire as a mortar for the earthbags.
Paperboo: Substitutes concrete with Papercrete, a mixture recycled paper and cement and reinforced with bamboo.
Ram///Bam: Uses rammed earth with bamboo reinforcement for structural building members.
ash = (c)ash: Reuses fly ash, collected as waste material from a coal burning power plant in Mettur, to make bricks. The brick kiln is powered by burning rice husks, which uses it's waste product, the rice husk ash, in the mortar for the home. The house uses a parabolic vault design to do away with reinforced concrete beams usually needed for roof support.
A lot of the projects (mine included) use bamboo for structural support. I love the idea in theory, but really have to wonder how it holds up in reality. Especially when it's embedded inside of a mud wall. If it starts to deteriorate at the foundation, there's little way of knowing, and a lot of expense in repair. I prefer when bamboo is used externally, so you can not only enjoy the beauty of the material, but also know exactly when it needs to be replaced.
I read about EarthBag technology when researching my entry. My biggest concern was the use of the polypropylene bags as casing for the soil. I applaud the use of what would normally be considered trash bags, but when the building gets torn down, can you easily separate the polypropylene from the earth? Does it leak toxins into the earth? There are natural alternatives to polypropylene bags, but I believe at this point these are made so they biodegrade after a period of time, and so not the most useful thing to use as a structural element.
A few of the projects use thatch as a roofing material, which is great in that it is cheap, local, and keeps the rain out. But what I've noticed is that there is a cultural stigma against the material, that only poor people build with it. Plus, it needs a lot of upkeep, repair, and problems with insects. Corrugated metal sheets, a material I absolutely hate, is much more desirable. I think the next competition should look at ways to reduce the use of that.
I like the idea of using broken down concrete pieces in wire cages as a building material. Over here in Germany, I see a lot of retaining walls built of wire cages filled with stone, and it's really a beautiful material. I love the recycle factor involved in this idea. Just open the cage and use the materials in a differently shaped cage for another project. It seems a little expensive though. I don't know about the availability of steel or its components, or ecological ramifications of using steel in that way, so I can't really comment.
Maybe some of you can...
I have to agree with you. Having bamboo as the internal support structure does have its problems. If anything, I think a combination of the gogabioon with an outer layer of bamboo would be a much better idea.
ReplyDeleteconcrete repair
Yes, but in some areas the metal required for the wired cages becomes expensive or is not easily available. But definitely, a cheap, eco-friendly way to protect the bamboo would be in order.
DeleteYou both have good points. In my opinion, we must do what is best for our environment and choose that is more Eco-friendly because we really have to take all our chances to save mother earth. concrete perth
ReplyDeleteI second the motion of finding an easily accessible and green way to protect the bamboo. The planet has been damaged enough. It's time we be eco-friendly with whatever we do or build.
ReplyDeleteconcrete pump
It isn't bad to use wood and other eco-friendly material for housing but I don't think it is as sturdy as concrete materials. Maybe we can balance the use of both. hardwood floor contractors
ReplyDelete