MATERIALS AND SUSTAINABILITY
MATERIALS AND SUSTAINABILITY
After I have completed the prototype of my project, I have to think about the materials I will utilize in my real-life project. My project is a commercial art gallery situated in Ilot Fertile. This place is known for its low carbon levels hence using sustainable materials for my construction will maintain the balance of nature in that area.
Besides my personal research, construction this post will also be based on the construction materials used in the building of the Ilot Fertile high-rise buildings
LIMESTONE
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which consists of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite. From my previous geography classes during my IGCSE and A levels, I learnt that limestone is formed through both a biological and chemical process. With the biological process, when shellfish in the ocean die out, their debris builds up on the ocean floor creating several portions of limestone. This process has been going on for millions of years and still occurs today.
In the chemical process, Calcium reacts with Hydrochloric acid leading to the formation of calcium Carbonate, Water and Carbon Dioxide. In this reaction, the main production formed is Calcium carbonate which is a major chemical compound found in limestone.
WHY IS LIMESTONE GOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION AND REASONS WHY I WANT THIS TO BE THE MAIN MATERIAL USED FOR CONSTRUCTION
Limestone can withstand harsh conditions. This is because, it consists of Calcium Carbonate which can withstand erosion, weather activities and harsh climatic conditions. This is why I want to use this material in the construction of my art gallery. France is a temperate zone hence in the occurrence of thunderstorms, the building will be able to withstand any threats.
This is my first major project hence using materials which can subsidize cost is a necessity. Limestone is relatively cheap so using these materials will enable me to purchase enough for construction. There is also a local quarrying company in France known as Pierrre de Jaumont so I can source the quantity I need from this quarry on a large scale. This will make accessibility easy for me because apart from Pierre de Jaumont there are other local quarrying sites.
Limestone is a visually pleasing material. Therefore it does not require a lot of work to be done such as painting to produce a perfect finish. All that is needed is more polishing to complete it. This will also save construction workers a lot of time and will not require vigorous efforts to make it look flawless. A perfect example of an aesthetic finish is the limestone used in the making of the interior at the Athenaeum Theatre in Glasgow.
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| ATHENAEUM THEATRE |
Due to the strong chemical bonds that exist in the limestone compound( CaCo3), Limestone does not require frequent maintenance checks. With other materials such as cement, constant maintenance needs to be done concerning cracks in walls and breakages which will incur costs. However with limestone, due to its durable nature, constant repairs can be avoided. This is a good feature of limestone since I am a startup designer and business owner. This will save me from unnecessary spending on repairs since I am a startup business with limited capital. It will also save time and enable me to attend to more demanding issues at hand.
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| LIMESTONE LIMESTONE USE DUE TO SUSTAINABILITY |
L'Ilot Fertile is the first zero-carbon district in France. This project came to fruition due to the eco-friendly materials that were used which is limestone. 10,000 m2 of limestone was used in the construction of the facades of these buildings. After construction was completed the remaining minestone was picked up to be reused elsewhere. As I said earlier in this post, limestone can be reused which reduces waste deposits. Besides limestone being used at L'Ilot Fertility there are several green spaces on site which promote eco-friendliness.
TOUGHENED GLASS
Toughened glass will be used for the glass windows of the art gallery. Toughened glass is heated and then cooled rapidly to make it strong and durable unlike regular annealed glass which is relatively weak
Toughened glass will be used because it does not break easily. In the case of its breakage toughened, glass shatters into tiny blunt-edged pieces which do not easily cause physical harm to people.
It offers UV ray protection by absorbing radiation waves from the sun. According to Sullivan (2022) Toughened glass absorves 65% of the sun's rays and this translates to it having a Sun Protection Factor of 16. This benefit will be highly needed in Summer when the temperatures are high to provide customers with a conducive space. It is also made to withstand high temperatures up to 250 degrees in the case of fire outbreaks offering people trapped in the building greater safety.
In the case where events are being held in a designated area in the building, According to Sullivan( 2020) Toughened glass offers sound protection by absorbing sound waves. With the presence of the train tracks right beside the site, the noise coming from the moving trains will be blocked with the toughened glass reducing noise from the exterior environment.
( SECONDARY MATERIALS)
LOW VOC AND ACRYLIC-FREE PAINT
Paints which do not contain or have minimal levels of Volatile Organic Compounds reduce the amount of toxins released into the atmosphere.
LOW CARBON CONCRETE
Concrete with low levels of Carbon makes it helps in the reduction of greenhouse gases which lead to global warming in the atmosphere. Due to its relatively lower synthetic nature, it has a strong shear force and easily resists pressure hence the reason why it is usually used for foundations of structures.
REFERENCES
Smiley, J. (2023) Why is limestone good for building: Top 10 reasons, stone centre. Available at: https://stonecenters.com/blog/reasons-to-go-for-limestone-for-your-next-building-project#:~:text=From%20its%20durability%20and%20timeless%20aesthetic%20appeal%20to,of%20your%20list%20for%20your%20next%20construction%20endeavor. (Accessed: 27 February 2024).
Anonymous (2015) Limestone – the environmentally friendly product for homes and Gardens – Groovy Green, Groovy Green. Available at: https://www.groovygreen.com/limestone-the-environmentally-friendly-product-for-homes-and-gardens/ (Accessed: 27 February 2024).
Sullivan, A. (2022) Toughened safety glass explained, UK. Available at: https://www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk/blogs/garden-blog/toughened-safety-glass-explained#:~:text=UV%20Protection%20Toughened%2Ftempered%20glass%20can%20absorb%20around%2065%25,time%20outside%20in%20your%20Rhino%20greenhouse%20%28hint%2C%20hint%29. (Accessed: 05 March 2024).
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