From the very start of civilization, for its shaping and nurturing, Architecture has played an essential part in benefitting and serving humanity. For the most part, this long run of Architecture Design has been unconscious about Nature and Mother Earth. Particularly after the 1900s when the Industrial Revolution happened, the materials developed for speedy construction depleted the Earth in several ways. Along with other factors affecting the earth, global warming has been a persistent and un-ignorable issue for several decades. The current traditional materials account for about 40% of carbon emissions that eventually lead to global warming.
Traditional Materials Emergence and Global Impact
The Traditional Materials of Modern Architecture are Steel and Concrete. During the commencement of the Industrial Revolution, traditional materials of modern architecture were developed. During this time, there was a race to excel like never before, where trade was the main agenda among the countries. The Machines were the leading the world with which mining became possible. Through the engineering marvel, concrete and steel-like materials came to be. Although a luxury in the initial years, it was easily mainstream due to its availability. It also provided ease of usage along with rapid construction speed.
However, it was adopted and allowed the society to reach greater heights with several skyscrapers. The masses observed later issues such as mechanical cooling and high thermal mass of buildings. Architects who used concrete extensively in their projects like Le Corbusier, tried to keep the minimum site coverage and focussed on green spaces essentially to counter the effects of concrete. The main issue arrived when everyone started making these structures copying the worldly standards without understanding the actual need of it.
The impact of the usage of these traditional materials can be seen in these statistics
- 36%: The proportion of energy used worldwide for building and construction. Residential building utilization makes up 22%, non-residential usage makes up 8%, and the construction industry makes up 6%.
- 82% of the world’s energy usage in buildings in 2015 was fueled by fossil fuels.
- Buildings account for 33% of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. As a result, they are the single largest sector emitter globally.
- 8% of all CO2 emissions worldwide are produced by cement. After China and the US, it would be the third-largest emitter if it were a nation.
- The annual CO2 emissions from cement manufacturing around the world are 2.2 billion tonnes.
- Since 1990, cement production has increased by 400%. Since 1950, it has multiplied thirty times.
How the Traditional Materials Impact
The primary cause of global warming is the emission of CO2, mainly contributed by the use of traditional materials. But we must first need to understand there are two categories of carbon emissions we need to understand:
- Operational Carbon
- Embodied Carbon
Operational carbon describes the emissions that result from keeping the building operational, such as keeping the lights on and the building cool. 28% of our carbon emissions come from this operational carbon. On the other hand, embodied carbon is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions—mostly carbon emissions—that occur throughout a building’s construction and use. It includes emissions from the collecting and transportation of materials, the construction of the building, maintenance activities (such as repairs), and the end of the building’s useful life when it is demolished and the materials are disposed of or processed.
The GWP(Global Warming Potential) is the value of the material derived to calculate the product’s “carbon footprint”. The GWP determines how much heat a specific amount of gas can retain in the atmosphere in comparison to the same mass of carbon dioxide since global warming is exacerbated by the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane. The more significant the impact on global warming, the higher the GWP value. Other elements, such as energy usage during production and resource depletion, are significant considerations that affect accuracy.
Along with the Mainstream material, several materials are responsible for global warming. These materials are often tagged along with Traditional Materials like steel and concrete.
Change in Upcoming time
These Traditional Materials are not the only answer to cater the architectural needs. Traditional materials only existed for a century but Architecture has been around since the start of the civilization. Instead, going back to ancient times, we need to find alternate materials with which modern architectural needs are catered. This methodology can be executed until we create a “Magical” Material that has no impact on the environment.
Reducing the Use of Cement
Making cement, a component of concrete, has been called “the most destructive material on earth”. The use of cement must be reduced. This can be accomplished by including recycled elements into the mixture, using less cement, and using substitute ingredients such as fly ash or slag.
Not Building
Retrofitting existing building assets must be prioritized far more than resource-intensive new construction. Older structures are often less energy-efficient than newer ones, however, renovation can increase insulation and lower energy use.
Incorporating passive design and renewable energy
When used, passive design elements and renewable energy sources can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a finished structure. To make the most of the surrounding natural environment, start by choosing appropriate construction placements and orientations. Homes with the Passive House certification consume an estimated 80% less energy to heat and cool than typical structures.
Design With a Low Carbon Approach In Mind
All design decisions must be made using a fully integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) strategy. In addition to a low-carbon design strategy, this method takes into account the project’s performance in terms of its material, water, and energy requirements during its entire lifecycle.
Choosing sustainable building materials
These include hempcrete, a material created by combining hemp plants with a binder based on lime. This creates a thin, permeable building material with superior insulating qualities.
Rammed earth is an additional option that is created by compressing soil into a formwork. It has outstanding thermal mass qualities and is long-lasting and low-maintenance.
There is no need to wait for a material that will change the construction industry forever. Instead, as architects, we should strive for what is right keeping a long-term goal in mind for a better future. As an architect, one should design following the practice and honour the profession by setting an example in the field. Last but not least, the best is not looking for change but bringing change.
References:
- Bujňák, J. (2011). Environmental impact of steel and concrete as building materials. [online] www.semanticscholar.org. Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Environmental-impact-of-steel-and-concrete-as-Buj%C5%88%C3%A1k/5d3fe41508fab5be356fa710a042c33d8e7f516b [Accessed 9 Sep. 2023].
- Jones, E. (2023). 5-ways to Reduce Embodied Carbon from Construction Projects. [online] ProjectSight. Available at: https://projectsight.trimble.com/blog/reduce-embodied-carbon-on-your-next-building-project/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2023].
- Moynihan, M. (2019). Steel, concrete and climate change – The Institution of Structural Engineers. [online] www.istructe.org. Available at: https://www.istructe.org/resources/blog/steel-concrete-and-climate-change/ [Accessed 9 Sep. 2023].
- Souza, E. (2022). What Is the Environmental Impact of Each Building Material? [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/984663/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-each-building-material [Accessed 9 Sep. 2023].
- Wałach, D. (2020). Analysis of Factors Affecting the Environmental Impact of Concrete Structures. Sustainability, 13(1), p.204. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010204.
- Walsh, N.P. (2020). The Facts about Architecture and Climate Change. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/931240/the-facts-about-architecture-and-climate-change [Accessed 9 Sep. 2023].
- Zhong, X., Hu, M., Deetman, S., Steubing, B., Lin, H.X., Hernandez, G.A., Harpprecht, C., Zhang, C., Tukker, A. and Behrens, P. (2021). Global greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial building materials and mitigation strategies to 2060. Nature Communications, 12(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26212-z.
