Materials:
My main plan was to use Concrete, however when considering the environmental values I had to think about another material to replace the concrete due to the negative impact it has on the environment as it causes around 8% of global CO2 emissions, explained by Michael The Guardian (2019)
The concrete - BBC
Alternative to concrete:
To replace concrete I decided to choose between either travertine or rammed earth. both rammed earth and travertine are considered eco friendly building materials however they have different characteristics such as transportation, travertine is often transported long distances to constructions sites, while rammed earth is made from natural raw materials such as earth, chalk. The environmental impact of both materials can vary based on the location of the construction. in general rammed earth tends to have a lower impact on the environment compared to travertine. To sum up I have decided to use rammed earth because of its availability and sustainability.
Rammed earth:
Rammed earth is a construction technique that is based on natural materials like earth, lime, or gravel to make solid walls. The earth is the primary material it should have suitable features for compaction, process involves pressing down these materials in layers in a formwork. It is known for its durability, and sustainability.
This material is also a thermal mass which means that it can absorb and release heat helping to balance the inside temperature and reduce the additional cooling or heating lowering the consumption of energy.
One other main reasons of choosing Rammed earth is sound insulation the walls create a quieter indoor environment which is much needed for offices in a big city.
Algiers is common with earthquakes because of a fault called the Sahel fault in the north coast of Algeria, and if Rammed earth structures is designed and engineered correctly, it represents a strong resistance to seismic activity
How is the rammed earth construction made ?
First we need to choose the right materials (earth, chalk, gravel...) then mixing it with water, the third step is to layering the mixture and pressing each layer down using tools like a manual rammer, pneumatic tampers, power tampers..., once all of this is done let it dry on its own
Glass:
for the windows I will use Ais ecosense glass due to its sustainability, it helps reducing electricity use, and allows daylight and sun heat in, it comes in different shades: neutral, blue, green, and gold.
Soundproof window:
Since the chosen location is a busy place, and the offices require a calm and a quiet environment for employees, I decided to look for solutions to make the glass soundproof and that can work by making the glass used thicker, doubling layers between the glazing, and adding more space between it, (the soundproof windows, no date)
References:
Concrete: The most destructive material on Earth (2019) The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/25/concrete-the-most-destructive-material-on-earth#:~:text=Concrete%20causes%20up%20to%208,our%20relationship%20to%20the%20planet. (Accessed: 30 January 2024).
Natural stone travertine mosaic tiles Lagrange Brown (no date) Mosafil. Available at: https://mosafil.co.uk/natural-stone-travertine-mosaic-tiles-lagrange-brown.html (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Cao, L. (2023) How rammed earth walls are built, ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/933353/how-rammed-earth-walls-are-built (Accessed: 25February 2024).
Rammed earth construction (2024) First In Architecture. Available at: https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/rammed-earth-construction/ (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Noise reduction solutions (2024) available at: https://thesoundproofwindows.co.uk/noise-reduction-products/noise-reduction-glazing.(accessed: 25 February 2024)
Talk about how this relates to what you have in mind for your project
ReplyDelete