Material and sustainability

 Materials

  Choosing the right materials is important for building modern, eco-friendly stores. Recycled steel, wood, and concrete are popular choices because they are sustainable and can be used in many ways. In this post I will be researching these materials to help the environment and improve the design of a fashion shop aimed at Generation Z.

In modern shopping stores common construction materials are: recycled wood - can be used for facades, structural elements, flooring and furniture, recycled concrete - inter floor ceiling,  recycled metal - structural elements, bamboo - wall panels, flooring, recycled glass. In my project I will use recycled steel for wall panels and carcass of columns, recycled concrete for inter floor ceiling and recycled glass. An important element in construction store in Connecticut due to climate is sustainable insulation. 

Recycled steel

Recycled steel is construction common material due to its availability. This material is suitable for construction of the building and carcasses of columns for exterior and facade in my design. During construction, it’s important to minimize impacts on the local community and reduce waste. Issues include noise, dust, pollution, and traffic, which can be solved by offside prefabrication. This method is efficient, safe, high-quality, and fast. All steel products are made offsite, with some being simple pieces and others being fully finished modules, ready to be assembled on site. (Burgan, Sansom, 2006)

As I mentioned before recycled steel is widely used building material, so in Connecticut state is several local companies which recycling steel and other metals.

According to Statista, 2023, 69 % of steel in the US are recycled, which means that this product is highly sustainable.

In my project using of recycled steel will make my building look more modern and at the same time will be sustainable and local option, which will be affordable. 

Glass

Recycled glass is a perfect material for modern building because this material can be recycled multiple times. “Glass is 100 per cent – and infinitely – recyclable yet, to date, this quality has been largely underexploited. We now need to deploy recycling on a global scale” (Ribaj, 2024). The only issue that can be with recycled glass according to the source that there might not be enough recycled glass factories due to the fact that there are more glass manufacturers than glass recycling factories. But over the time technologies changes and opens more factories which recycles glass. 

One of the largest glass recycling facilities in Connecticut located in South Winston, the distance between South Winston and Cromwell just 45 miles. 

Insulation

As an insulation material there are many options such as Fibreglass, Mineral Wool Insulation, Cellulose Insulation Material, Cotton, Sheep's Wool, Straw, Hemp. Mostly, all this materials are sustainable but one of the most eco friendly, high insulation efficient and common in Connecticut state is Sheep’s wool. 

Sheep wool insulation is natural material which contains of natural sheep wool, sometimes might be mixed with polyester. This material is called wool-rich insulation and it includes 75% of sheep wool and 25% of polyester. In our store we will be using just natural material which contains 100% of sheep wool.

This insulation option for store not only supports local economy, but also reduces the carbon footprint. In summary, this material offers acoustic performance, has sustainable benefits. 

Reference list

Bella Contracting (2023). The Use Of Sustainable Building Materials In Connecticut Commercial Construction | Bella Contracting Services. [online] Available at: https://bellacontractingservices.com/the-use-of-sustainable-building-materials-in-connecticut-commercial-construction/ [Accessed 22 May 2024].

Bennett, D. (2020). Steel Recycling: Processes, Benefits, and Business Solutions. [online] Rubicon: Software Platform Offering Smart Waste and Recycling Solutions. Available at: https://www.rubicon.com/blog/steel-recycling/ [Accessed 22 May 2024].

Burgan, B.A. and Sansom, M.R. (2006) ‘Sustainable Steel Construction’, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 62(11), pp. 1178–1183. doi:10.1016/j.jcsr.2006.06.029.

Rhun, G.C. and S.L. (2024). How reusing and recycling glass can cut a building’s carbon emissions. [online] www.ribaj.com. Available at: https://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/materials-book-glass-reuse-recycling-architecture [Accessed 21 May 2024].

Statista (n.d.). Iron and steel recycling value in the U.S. [online] Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/209420/recycled-value-of-iron-and-steel-in-the-us/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20iron%20and%20steel [Accessed 4 Jun. 2024].