Out of the Plastic Box

1 AIA LU

This program will focus on materials and breathable systems, a convention that has been disrupted by modern construction, but excels in performance and health benefits. It will look into where our materials come from and offer solutions that in most cases are healthier and more sustainable. Many of materials that will be discussed are alternatives to popularly used petroleum based materials, materials that have toxic additives and materials that off gas. Many of these popular materials support a building system that creates a tight envelope in order to prevent moisture and air from passing through, which in some cases create what many industry experts call ‘sick building syndrome’.

However, now there are other methods of construction that provide a solution to some of these problems. This program will demonstrate the benefits of breathable and vapor permeable construction. It will explore the architectural details and materials that create such a wall. The construction industry is notoriously wasteful and reliant on materials that are finite and unsustainable. This program will focus on how construction can be regenerative and healthy and demonstrate how construction can become carbon neutral rather than a carbon producer. One material that we will specifically go into detail on is hemp and hemp-lime as a building material. Products like Hemp Blanket batt insulation, hemp-lime walls and lime plaster provide a wall system that is breathable, sustainable and healthy. And by relying on a local supply chain, these plant or mineral based materials can be sourced at a lower rate, and grow local agriculture and businesses. This program will show what some of these material options are and how to implement them into small and large scale projects.

The program will use several case studies as examples of a way forward.