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The use of a sustainable material in every part of a building could alter the very nature of construction for a more sustainable future.
Spotted: Springwise has followed the construction industry’s attempts to become more sustainable, covering innovations that re-use waste products to create building materials, and energy-efficient buildings. As buildings last for many years after their construction, considering their environmental impact is vital in an increasingly eco-conscious world. With this in mind, UK architects have now devised a way to create fully biodegradable and recyclable buildings.
Studio Bark have constructed a garden building made entirely of cork. Aptly named the Cork Studio, the prototype can be fully recycled, reused, or composted. The drive to create such a structure came from frustration at the architecture industry’s dependency on single-use materials. This means that temporary or short-life structures, such as garden buildings, often end up in landfill. This is not only bad for the environment but also not economical for the architects themselves. With reusable materials, architects could save money and time on purchasing new building resources. Alternatively, the entire building could be recycled or left to decompose after use. Reducing the material sent to landfill reduces the hazardous materials entering our soil and water via rubbish tips.
The architects chose cork, after extensive experiments involving water, fire, and degradation resistance tests. Cork is strong and durable, making it ideal as a building material. They can also harvest the wood in a sustainable manner directly from the bark of the cork oak tree.
Making radical changes to any industry is always difficult to implement but for construction it could be vital for survival. As the deciding factor for the future of our urban environments, the construction of buildings is key in our battle to become more environmentally friendly. We can therefore expect to see more similar efforts as this cork building in future. Could it create a whole new industry of eco-construction?
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