Summary
The use of bio-based and low impact materials provides an opportunity to reduce the amount of energy consumed during manufacture and transport, whilst potentially providing a number of significant performance benefits during operation, such as thermal performance, moisture control and good indoor air quality.
Embodied carbon makes up the largest proportion of the carbon emissions of a building through its lifetime – between 30% – 70% of a building’s lifetime carbon emissions have already been accounted for, even before it is occupied”
Battle, G; 2014 Embodied Industry Task Force
Co-hosted by The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and The Green Register, and kindly supported by Vision 2016, this event provided an opportunity to hear from the leading innovators in the sustainable materials sector and discover the pioneering approaches in which designers, manufacturers and academics are researching and developing low impact materials.
From timber to straw bale, clay to hemp and lime, the event discussed a range of ground-breaking research projects and cutting edge methods of practice that are increasingly used by leading companies and individuals within the industry. We explored the current state of the sustainable materials sector, and debated how we can further the uptake of low impact materials and accelerate the UK’s transition to a low carbon, healthy built environment.
The event was supported as part of Bristol 2015 European Green Capital.
Presentations
Innovating with Low Impact Products
Andrew Mitchell, Natural Building Technologies
Presentation – Innovating with Low Impact Materials, October 2015
Andrew is Sales and Technical Director at Natural Building Technologies, one of the leading companies in the UK selling and developing high performance sustainable building systems for mainstream construction, including a range of bio-based and low impact materials such as the Pavatex wood fibre range.
Intelligent building with low impact materials
Chris Brookman, Back to Earth
Presentation – Innovating with Low Impact Materials, October 2015
Back to Earth was started in 1995 by Chris Brookman, and has developed into one of the leading suppliers of sustainable building materials in the industry.
Chris will be talking about the ways in which natural materials can be used to alter and improve the experience of living in a building. Chris will discuss how natural building materials can be used to achieve ultra-high standards of energy efficiency such as Passivhaus, including the construction process and improving comfort.
Design-Led Solutions in Solid Timber
Jonathan Fovargue, Eurban
Presentation – Innovating with Low Impact Materials, October 2015
Jonathan is co-founder and Director of Eurban, one of the UK’s foremost cross-laminated timber designers and suppliers. Eurban have been involved with a range of innovative CLT projects in the commercial, education and residential sectors – including Bridport House in Hackney, the largest social housing development constructed from CLT in the UK.
Building homes for sustainable communities
Craig White, White Design/ Modcell
Innovating with Low Impact Materials, October 2015
Craig White is the founder of White Design, a sustainability led architectural practice and consultancy firm based in the south west. Craig is also Director at Modcell, a super-insulated, pre-fabricated panel system consisting of straw bale and hemp construction that has recently been certified as the world’s first Passivhaus certified straw bale component.
BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials
Mike Lawrence, University of Bath
Innovating with Low Impact Materials, October 2015
Dr. Mike Lawrence is Lead Researcher at The HIVE – a £1 million ground-breaking research facility at the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials at the University of Bath. The facility supports testing of hygrothermal performance, flooding and loads on construction materials using a range of state-of-the-art test cells.
Further information:
Bristol 2015 European Green Capital – www.bristol2015.co.uk
The Green Register – www.greenregister.org.uk