Solutions in Sustainable Construction

Aggregates are ubiquitous in the concrete production industry, yet are rarely deployed in an unbound form. This materials research project examines aggregate architectures made from designed injection-molded granulates which self-solidify. This pilot project for a ground-breaking construction method uses the potential of loose, designed granulates that can interlock and consequently require no additional binding agent; fully recyclable and adaptable to almost any site constraints. 

The Wasteless Free-Form Formwork construction technology combines existing processes and materials in a new way to fabricate non-repetitive free-form cast-on-site concrete structures using re-usable and digitally-fabricated wax formwork. 

This project for Mapungubwe National Park was completed in 2009 and builds relationships amongst people as well as between people and the environment. The building’s form uses materials and techniques which reflect the landscape and cultural traditions of the place. The innovative construction uses stabilized earth tiles in a system of lightweight vaulted spaces.

Following over 25 years of civil war, the reintegration of young soldiers is one of the great challenges facing Sri Lanka. This Community Library retrained a labor force geared for combat with building skills to equip them for post-military life. The slender building sits lightly in the landscape and wraps around an inner courtyard, taking full advantage of cross ventilation and daylighting. Rammed-earth walls and recycled materials reduce costs and the ecological footprint.

Cooling as a process is one of the biggest energy consumers in the building sector globally. Air-shade addresses this problem by proposing a shading system that is sensitive to solar exposure and powered by air – with no need of any external energy source. It can vary in scale, size, material, and form: the proposed device is therefore applicable to a broad variety of buildings, constructions, façades, roofs, windows, etc.

This entry is focused on the development of a smart but simple methodology to design and prefabricate building elements with complex geometries, which is resource efficient and considerably reduces construction waste. Complex geometries are utilized in contemporary architecture for the construction of concrete or mortar building envelopes, partition walls, horizontal and vertical shading elements and pavements.

Elementary school and craft training center: A learning complex that uses architecture, form, and space to claim artisanship and handiwork as living and modern traditions.

This construction materials village is an illustration of sustainable urban logistics as part of a larger ecosystem. By distributing construction materials to Brussels and collecting construction waste from it, the village functions as an important logistics and distribution hub between port and city. The modular and hierarchical structure of the warehouses makes the architecture receptive to different programmatic demands of various site users.

The project presents a technique using flexible fabrics instead of conventional rigid molds for the production of concrete elements, offering significant reductions in material use and dead weight. Research and practical applications continue at CAST, University of Manitoba, which contributes to “open source” technical collaboration with additional university and industry partners.

From southern China, this entry makes a compelling case for reinterpreting the traditional building culture. An innovative translation of a historical house typology to a series of modern dwellings is proposed for the city center. Ecologically, the project is merited for its sensitive deployment of low-cost natural resources, reactivating the manufacture of low-tech, handmade structures, and the use of recycled materials.