Strawcture Eco

Being an environmental sceptic, the building industry continues to evolve. During the mid-20th century, many innovations came along with the suburban boom. One of these was lightweight construction, which is gaining more traction today than ever. The traditional building process uses materials with a high carbon footprint and hence a negative environmental impact. Increased awareness of environmental damage has moved the focus of governments and industry bodies to advocate the use of  sustainable building materials  in the construction industry. The lightweight construction is gaining traction due to its lower embodied energy rating. Lightweight materials require lesser resources than traditional materials and are more energy efficient with a minimal carbon footprint. Moreover, they significantly reduce construction time, enabling a quicker project turnaround and saving costs. Lightweight construction materials  Innovative building materials and lightweight technologies o...

Professionals spend a larger part of their lives at work. A healthy workplace, thus, is designed to have a positive impact on them. Apart from the company culture, various sensory elements contribute to the space’s ambience, comfort, and vibes. The WELL Building Standard certifies and monitors the built environment features that impact human health and well-being. It measures and evaluates the built space as per seven parameters: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. The WELL Standard believes that people’s health and wellness should be at the core of the building’s design. A workplace designed with employee well-being as the core will yield improved productivity and a sense of security, thus sustaining employees and benefiting the company in the long run. So how does one do that? Architects need to factor in the construction ergonomics, considering daylight, air quality, acoustics, temperature control, biophilic design, and green building techniques. Wor...

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) impacts health and well-being. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, poor air quality is responsible for many health issues such as respiratory problems and heart disease. Indoor Life Quality and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) thus, today have become considerations for both the design/building industry and the general public. In response, many Green standards have been introduced for the built environment to help achieve better IAQ. Before delving into standards, let’s take a closer look at the causes and sources that impact indoor air quality. Indoor environmental quality The term “Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)” refers to the conditions that affect the health and well-being of people inside a building. It includes air quality, lighting, thermal conditions, ergonomics, and their effects on occupants or residents. It is achieved by improving air quality, reducing stress, and improving the qu...

Climate change The impact of climate change is for all to experience. It is something that none of us can now ignore. Interestingly, the built environment contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Since this has come to light, researchers have been diligently working to identify the highest emission contributors and then work at options to minimize these emissions. If statistics are to be believed, constructed spaces currently contribute to 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions: 28% from operational emissions and 11% from materials used in construction. The world’s population forecast states that the population will approach 10 billion by the middle of the century, doubling the global building stock. The building sector has a vital role to play in addressing  climate change . The release of carbon in the construction process is referred to as  upfront carbon.  The forecast is that the emissions from construction will account for about half of th...

To fight against climate change, builders, planners, designers, and architects urgently need to shift gears and implement sustainable designs and practices. Buildings, be it residential or commercial, are an alarmingly dominant source of almost 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), according to Architecture 2030, a prominent non-profit research organization in the US. The solution – design and build Green! In light of the grave threat to the environment and subsequently to all forms of life on this planet, building green then becomes critical to our very existence, health, and well-being. Green buildings are about straddling the structure’s entire ecosystem – planning, design, construction, operations, and its end-of-life impact on the environment. This entails looking at options that save energy and water, do not emit harmful GHGs, and are recyclable or sustainable. When a structure does all of this while also retaining the creation of vegetated land areas, it reduces GHGs a...

The effective use of every square foot of space defines the efficiency of a warehouse. Typically, the floor space in any warehouse is limited, limiting the stacking space, so the real win comes in effectively using the vertical space. How? The answer lies with Mezzanine Flooring. A well-designed mezzanine floor adds to storage space enabling a higher return per square foot. Mezzanine floors are intermediary levels built between two main floors or between a building’s ceiling and floor. These are suspended floors constructed into a structure to provide additional floor levels. A cost-effective solution in a warehouse that offers several advantages, such as safe and efficient creation of space for job separation, specialized storage and racking options, quiet office space, etc. The real win is it helps create more functionality for an area without the need for planning approval as would be required if one was adding a floor to the space. Planning permit applications are notoriou...