Are We Moving Towards Homes Built On Sustainability?

By Author: D'Art Design
Total Articles: 21
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Most of our attention is focused on generating cleaner energy for a sustainable future, but there is another side to this story. What if we could substantially cut our energy usage by just altering the way we construct our spaces, buildings, and other structures? How vendors and suppliers networks will be affected when one of the biggest fixed costs and investment becomes sustainable and over the years pays for itself. Imagine your building are made from algae or fungus.

With single-use plastics being banned worldwide, it's never been more crucial to experiment with sustainable alternatives. But making the right choices has never been easier because with all these conversations around sustainability almost everyone is claiming their products to be eco-friendly.

But, the following sustainable materials actually deserve your attention because they may become the basis for some of your personal and commercial spaces in the future.

HOUSES MADE OF COFFEE

Through the years we have been drinking coffee. Who would have thought coffee could ...
... be used to build houses? Needs, for better or worse, are what drive change. To address homelessness, construction companies are now employing coffee in their construction process to provide affordable housing.

WPC is a composite material made up of coffee husk fibre and recycled polymer. The materials are subsequently machine-processed and used as environmentally friendly building materials.

The coffee husk is taken from the beans, which are then split and scanned for defects before being bagged and taken for processing. Earlier, this husk would have been discarded. But now, the mill brings these husks in the form of flakes.

As soon as coffee and plastic are crushed and pulverized, they are then mixed with other materials and then processed and turned into WPC pellets. The final material is fire-resistant, durable, and insect-resistant. With only a few tools, this material solves two problems simultaneously––social and environmental issues.

CONCRETE MADE OF PLANTS

On a global scale, our homes account for 22 % of carbon emissions. In the traditional building process, constructional materials like concrete generate around 8% of the world’s carbon emissions and steel up to 11%. Therefore, for building a sustainable home, the need for green materials is greater than ever. Hence sustainable alternatives are being developed like bamboo, rammed earth, and coffee husks. The next material in line could be Hemp. It is a versatile product that can be used for clothing, producing oil for seeds, shoes, paper, etc.

Hemp can also be used in building materials as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. Hempcrete is a material made from combining water, lime, and hemp stalk’s inner core. This combination is fire and pest resistance, balances moisture and of course, is strong. But unlike concrete, it is not capable of bearing much weight by itself therefore, it is used with wood or steel.

Furthermore, it is suitable for building self-insulating walls and roofs. Meaning it has a great thermal performance, less than concrete. It means less heat can pass through, leading to warmer houses in winters and cooler houses in the summer, which can save 50 to 80 % energy and bills. Besides, hemp buildings last for centuries. Houses made as far back as 1600 in Japan are still standing strong and are part of the country's history.

POWER TILES WITH FOOTSTEPS

Simply walk and generate energy. These new tiles could use pressure and turn it into power. Every time people walk, the kinetic energy generated from their footsteps is converted into electricity. The more people walk, the more energy is generated. These tiles can line homes, high foot traffic commercial spaces. So, when people step on them, the energy from the pressure applied turns into energy that can power soccer pitches, clubs, sidewalks, transport sites, hospitals, etc.

One step can generate 20 seconds of light. It is producing also produces data for in-store heat mapping. It can be used in retail stores, like heat maps and knowing how and where customers are looking for products and their behaviour in the store’s environment.

Eventually, perhaps it will extend to cars, airports, and other busy places with high traffic, or generate power with people sitting in their offices, at home, or doing simple tasks.

We are looking at the emerging new, sustainable ideas that are about to shape our surroundings. However, as we step into the future, using alternative materials and perfecting recycling, we need to understand how even the small decisions affect the environment and plan every step in the journey accordingly, and think, design for a better planet and generations to come.

At D'Art Design, you'll find the experience laced with high-standing capabilities of timely and qualitative deliverance. From design to deployment we provide a systematic package boasting ourselves as one-stop solutions. Our holistic range of services, includes visual and structural design, 3D sketch, prototyping, manufacturing, and accomplishment. https://www.dartdesign.in/