Sustainable Architecture: Going Natural

Before examining the futuristic scenarios of zero emission cities, it is useful to take a look at architecture that uses natural materials.

According to World Watch Magazine, 40% of the world's minerals, water and energy is used in the manufacturing and transportation of construction materials.
Those found in nature would seem to have the lightest impact on the environment. Wood, straw and bamboo are all recyclable, need little artificial energy to manufacture and create no waste products. The materials for Cob (clay, sand and straw ) and Adobe (bricks of earth and straw) architecture can all be locally obtained. There are no synthetic materials or chemicals necessary.

Building with earth has been used for centuries, since the first houses were even imagined, and in areas like Devon and Cornwell in England the style of earthen houses was prolific. Now, due to the trend towards sustainability it is seeing a revival, and ancient practices are being revived. In 2005, Cobtan house, designed by Associated Architects and made from cob, won the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Sustainability Award.

Cobtan House

There has been a revival in straw bale construction, and organisations such as the Amozonails hold regular gatherings for straw enthusiasts from around the world. It takes 6000 mega joules to manufacture 1 tonne of concrete and only 115 mega joules to produce 1 tonne of straw. Of course 1 tonne of straw goes a lot further than 1 tonne of concrete. Straw is often considered a waste product and many tonnes are burnt every year, polluting the atmosphere. Straw bale houses can be up to 20% more temperature efficient than traditional homes. David Eisenberg, from the The Development Center for Appropriate Technology has contributed many resources to his popular book “The Straw Bale House”.
The Didimala lodge in South Africa uses 10,000 straw bales, has a planetarium and cinema and is one of the largest in existence. The builders employed a system of post-beam thatch roof structure with a mixture of brick and straw bale walls.

Didimala Lodge

Architect Shigeru Ban uses recycled cardboard and bamboo in his constructions, which range from refugee tents, a paper bridge and the soaring exhibition pavilion at the Hannover Expo. Cardboard is cheap, reusable, biodegradable, nontoxic, widely available, and as Ban has demonstrated, looks great. Ban's signature work is his humanitarian contribution of refugee houses, where tubes have been used quickly and efficiently to house disaster victims. “Even in disaster areas, I want to create beautiful buildings, this is what it means to build a monument for common people', he told the New York Times. Ban also built a bridge in southern France, next to an ancient Roman Bridge, that is strong enough to carry 20 people. The steps of the bridge are constructed from recycled paper and plastic. Ban told Inhabitat that “It is a very interesting contrast, the Roman stone bridge and the paper bridge. Paper too can be permanent, can be strong and lasting. We need to get rid of these prejudices”. Shigeru Ban’s new approach to paper as a building material has made him as one of the most important architects of his time.

Paper bridge

In the wasteful 21st century, using recycled building material seems a perfect solution.
“Earthships” were devised in the seventies, but continue being built today, and are constructed of old rubber car tyres rammed tightly with earth, and arranged in a horseshoe shaped module. The southern walls are angled perpendicular to the winter sunlight, and the other walls insulated by plants or gardens. This creates “passive solar energy”, which warms in winter and cools in summer. The houses are autonomous and independent from utilities. There is always a water catchment system and recycling of gray water.

Passive solar energy on an earthship. Image from Earthship.net

“Adaptive reuse” is a term given to recycling land. In the post industrial age, many former mines or factory sites lie dormant. D.I.R.T studios are renowned for their landscape architecture, which transforms these previous vacant lots into blooming parks and natural wonderlands, all with a slightly healthy dose of industrial charm. The High-line project in New York, which they have contributed designs to, is part of a plan to convert the abandoned rail-lines, that spans 22 block in West Manhatten, into an elevated park.

The High Line by D.I.R.T

On another scale altogether, the large architectural firm, Atkins Architecture, renowned for their elaborate and often extravagant hotel concepts, have come up with a magical solution to an old quarry mine in China. The Waterworld hotel is placed with in the former quarry.
Bristol-based Martin Jochman, who led the design team, says, “We drew our inspiration from the quarry setting itself, adopting the image of a green hill cascading down the natural rock face as a series of terraced landscaped hanging gardens. In the centre, we have created a transparent glass ‘waterfall’ from a central vertical circulation atrium connecting the quarry base with the ground level. This replicates the natural waterfalls on the existing quarry face.”

Waterworld

So even without new technology and complicated energy saving devices, architecture can still be green. While all these natural options are perfectly viable for residential purposes and small scale living, what happens when buildings need to be bigger and incorporate public utililities on a grand urban scale?