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Victoria Park House, Hackney, London
Material Innovation
At Material Works we recognise the significance of the material choices we make when designing buildings. Architectural decisions have a direct impact on the amount of embodied carbon within construction projects and need to be carefully considered against client requirements and budgetary constraints.
As a result of significant research into the use and production of materials through projects at County Hall and across the UK, Material Works have developed a strategy which guides our design process and encourages a sustainable outcome.
This strategy takes the form of five guiding principles on how to use materials and the priority/order in which you should do so:
1. Celebrate the 'as found'
2. Work with material innovators
3. Reclaim as much as possible
4. Use natural or regenerative materials
5. 'Urban mine' from the locality to recycle waste
1. Celebrate the 'as found'
Work with the existing as much as possible, celebrating history and layers of a building
2. Work with material innovation
Work with sustainable material inventors to test new methods of construction.
5. Use recycled materials
As a last resort, recycled materials should be referred to for any new interventions.
1. Celebrate the 'as found'
Work with the existing as much as possible, celebrating history and layers of a building
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1. Celebrate the 'as found' condition
If possible, use what is found on site to reduce carbon. Create an inventory of items which could be reused and determine what needs to be done, if anything, to bring them into usability. Once a baseline approach to the existing building has been established, required new interventions can be assessed on what is absolutely necessary to to make the space usable. This helps to reduce the amount of embodied carbon in construction projects.
2. Work with material innovators
Through existing client relationships and our own research we have built connections with many different material innovators working to reduce the construction industry's impact on the environment. If new interventions are required, these should be constructed from less carbon-intensive materials than industry standard.
3. Reclaim as much as possible
Most of the time, we don't need to buy something brand new to get good quality furnishings and fittings. Numerous materials and furniture can be found in reclamation yards or second-hand websites, often having reduced financial impact as well as environmental.
Setting a benchmark in the early stages of the design process for materials which are to be sourced locally and establishing connections with local businesses to supply materials helps to cut down on transport emissions and resulting embodied carbon.
4. Use natural or regenerative materials
Through existing client relationships and our own research we have built connections with many different material innovators working to reduce the construction industry's impact on the environment. If new interventions are required, these should be constructed from less carbon-intensive materials than industry standard.
All timber should be legally and responsibly sourced in accordance with UK Government's timber procurement policy.
All proposed finishes using new materials should have low or no VOCs which can be harmful to health.
5. Use recycled materials
The concept of 'urban mining' repurposes materials which would otherwise go to waste. Waste generated from local construction projects or from the project itself can be re-purposed and given a new life. The client's waste streams could also be considered as a potential material, such a coffee waste which can be turned into a surface finish or construction board.
Recycled products can have high embodied carbon associated with their production processes - this should be considered before specifying a recycled material.
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