BIO MAP
During my internship in Denmark, I was working on a research project called Biomap. Biomap is a research project with the goal of mapping sustainable building materials and products. This research comprises searching, sourcing, and sorting of sustainable materials available. The materials are sorted based on their performance in different building applications. These applications include Foundation, Structure, Interior finish, Coating and transparency, Acoustic, Floors, Wet rooms and Roof and façades. As a result, Biomap creates a database of sustainable materials that can replace the conventional materials that are bad for the environment. In a nutshell, Biomap aims to provide a collection of sustainable alternative building materials for rich and diversified architecture.
While growing up, we all read the story “Three little piggies,” which glorified modern-day materials over conventional materials. However, this is not always the case; by combining vernacular materials and modern technology, we can obtain better materials for the environment. Biomap is a research project with the goal of mapping sustainable building materials and products.
This research comprises searching, sourcing, and sorting sustainable materials available. The materials are sorted based on their performance in different building applications. These applications include Foundation, Structure, Interior finish, Coating, and transparency, Acoustic, Floors, Wet rooms, and Roof and façades. As a result, Biomap creates a database of sustainable materials that can replace the materials that are bad for the environment
A Life Cycle Analysis is used to do this evaluation. LCA is a calculation method that integrates data about the amount and types of materials and energy used, the manufacturing processes, and associated chemical reactions with data about emissions for each of these processes. For this research, we are interested in embodied carbon; therefore, we will look at LCA’s cradle-to-gate stage. The cradle-to-gate analysis stops when the product leaves the gate of manufacturing.
This example explains how GWP in EPDs can be used to compare different materials. Steel and concrete emit 0.4-5 kg CO2 equivalent per kg. However, wood sequesters more carbon than it emits, requiring CO2 to grow. Moreover, by sustainably sourcing wood, we can store CO2 in the building structures. Hence based on the calculations, we can conclude that wood is an environmentally preferable material.
MATERIAL LABELLING
For sorting the materials, labeling is an important step. First, the building application categories were color coded. The category labels have a color designated to them followed by the name.The material label design focuses on the name, origin, composition, and Global warming potential, a property used to compare the specific application category for, e.g., strength, acoustic or lambda value, and fire classification. As most of these materials are versatile, primary and sub-application are mentioned.
