Talk With Your Architect About These Low-Waste Building Design Ideas
Posted on: 27 April 2017
If you are hiring an architect to design a home or commercial space for you, there are several elements you will need to consider throughout the process. If you want to keep waste to a minimum, in particular, there are numerous design ideas you may want to consider. Think about talking with your architect about any of the following ideas.
1. Repurpose Materials
To truly reduce waste in a building project, you may just want to use waste. All kinds of materials that would have normally been destined for landfills have popped up in architectural designs, and these materials range from beer cans, to embalming fluid bottles, to old storage containers.
2. Opt for Recyclable Materials
In addition to integrating waste, consider reducing waste by using recyclable materials in your design. Metal roofing is a prime example — you can start with recycled metals, and you also can recycle the roof when it needs to be replaced. In that same vein, you may want to opt for recyclable metal support beams rather than timber framing, especially for commercial products.
3. Focus on Daylighting and Other Environmentally Friendly Designs
Don't just focus on reducing waste with your materials, also remember that it's important to reduce waste down the line, and environmentally-friendly architectural techniques are an essential part of this process. For example, talk with your architect about reducing your reliance on electricity by orienting the building to catch as much sun as possible, integrating tall windows, and taking steps to reduce excess heat gain.
4. Use Local Materials
If you also want to reduce wasted fuel during the building process, you may want to look into integrating local materials into your design. This can involve building materials that are manufactured near your building site, but it may also include natural materials.
For example, in some areas with large clay deposits, it makes sense to integrate clay walls into the design of the building. The clay also helps save energy and reduce waste throughout the lifetime of the building. It helps with passive heating solar as it collects sunlight during the day and releases the heat in the evening.
5. Integrate Manufactured Panels
To reduce waste around the building site, you may also want the architect to integrate panels into your design. These are manufactured off-site, and they basically snap together. Because no sawing or cutting is happening, you get to avoid offcuts, sawdust, and related waste on the building site.
Share
