‘‘Construction Declares a Climate and Biodiversity emergency: 

For everyone working in construction and the built environment, meeting the needs of our societies without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in our behaviour. If we are to reduce and eventually reverse the environmental damage we are causing, we will need to re-imagine our buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system.’’ 

My thesis aims to address the Climate Emergency by focusing on the available resources within the Greater Glasgow area to produce Biocomposites which can be utilised in the construction and Architectural industries.

Bio-composites  =  Bio-plastics + Natural Building Techniques 

Bio-plastics: Plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, wood-chips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc.

Natural Building: The use of local raw materials and craft to construct Architecture.

Biocomposites are a promising field which utilise over looked resources in the creation of functional products and materials. Currently our material choices can have a life span which outlives its purpose by a factor of 1000. This leads to an unsustainable landfill which has a  devastating impact on our climate. If we can switch our thinking on materials, where the focus is on the impact of the material rather than its permanency, we can tackle the climate emergency.

Key Themes: Material, Ecology, Climate