The international conference on the ‘Use of Recycled Materials in Building and Structures’ took place in Barcelona, Spain at the end of 2004. A film was shown there in which experts gave their views on the recycling of building materials or the reuse of buildings. An impression for those who didn’t see it.
recycling
The international conference on the `Use of Recycled
Materials in Building and Structures' took place in
Barcelona, Spain at the end of 2004. A film was shown
there in which experts gave their views on the recycling
of building materials or the reuse of buildings. An
impression for those who didn't see it.
by Birgit Dulski & Michiel Haas
T he international conference `Use of Recycled Materials in
Building and Structures' took place in Barcelona, Spain at
the end of 2004. Chairman Professor Charles Hendriks (Delft
University of Technology) had a film made for his opening
speech which included interviews with architects and culturally
or politically engaged figures of international renown.
This provided some very different perspectives. For example it
included a practical explanation of the `geordneter R?ckbau'
(orderly demolition) in Germany, as well as an almost poetic
story about a waste processing facility in Spain. And it seems
that Belgian and Dutch architects set more store by the reuse of
existing urban structures than the reuse of building elements or
materials. Building to extend life span and with re-use in mind
already exists as a strategy, alongside designing buildings with a
short life span and the possibility of recycling parts of them.
The film presented examples of both these approaches. The use
of waste materials was also covered. The people interviewed
responded in detail to the question of whether they had
sufficient faith in the quality of recycled materials to also use
them in their own house. About one thing they were all in
agreement: no more regulations or provisions. The use of
recycled materials can be more effectively promoted through
courses, information campaigns and successful demonstration
projects.
Lucien Kroll, Brussels, Belgium ? architect, director AUAI
"As far as I can see we are re-inventing the world all the time. We
can't just use things which already exist and were useful to
somebody else. Why should we recycle an old world? "
"If we want to
create a
landscape, we
need people and
things, a setting
and relationships - we need both old
and new. It is impossible to design only from the perspective of
the future."
Juan Herreros, Madrid, Spain ? architect, director
?balos Y Herreros arquitectos
"As I see it, recycling has three aspects to it. First of all, we have
a new generation of materials, which partly come from recycling
processes. The second aspect is down to architects themselves
and is voiced in aesthetic and cultural debates. We have a new
culture when it comes to the choice of building materials. We see
the dawn of a democratic architecture: we are using almost
universal materials, that are used all over the world and in all
social classes. Production and transport are much simpler than
they used to be. Finally, we have to think about how we want to
have the cycle begin again ? through the reuse of buildings or
materials."
"For our office the Valdeming?mez waste treatment facility was
a key project. Waste is recycled in the building and we wanted to
show that. It had to be a building for the public, with a cultural
message and an educational role. In this project we deliberately
sought out recycled materials that
are currently
available and
looked at what
materials could
easily be recycled
in the future."
Francine Houben, Rotterdam, the Netherlands ?
architect, director MECANOO, Professor Delft
University of Technology
"When I think of recycling, materials is not the first thing I think
of, but more what we build with these materials ? a building or a
city. What is important to me is that the built environment is
capable of adapting to changes in society and to what is happening
in the world."
26
Sustainable Building 1-2005
R e c y c l i n g
`Re-inventing
the world all the time'
recycling
27
Sustainable Building 1-2005
"I think
certification is
necessary for the use of recycled materials. We have
to be able to give guarantees about the life of building elements."
"I would also choose recycled materials for my own house. I like
innovative things. But ultimately, it is, of course, also important
what the materials look like - the colour and texture, etc. And in
my house too, I want to be sure that the materials will last for a
number of years."
Manfred Wierichs, Krefeld, Germany ? director CC
Umwelt AG, director Bundesvereinigung Recycling
Baustoffe (German Association for the Recycling of
Building Materials)
"In Germany the `Geordneter R?ckbau' (orderly demolitionion),
as it is known, is already standard practice. What this means is that
various building elements are removed before a building is
demolished. Plastic window frames, for example, wooden ceilings,
tiles, etc. Only the load bearing structure is left over, usually made
of concrete or steel, which we can also easily recycle."
"We have enough building regulations, even on what to do with
recycled materials. But to encourage reuse we need to persuade the
people who take decisions at local level. Through courses which
show them that the use of recycled
materials is
the right
choice, because
it avoids the
unnecessary use
of resources."
Bob van Reeth, Antwerp, Belgium ? architect, director
AWG, Vlaams Bouwmeester (Flemish Master Builder)
"The theme recycling first makes me think of the urban structure: our
cities are constantly being recycled. Then, the structure of a building.
Only after that do I think of recycling building elements or materials.
The structures in a city are almost eternal - with a life of 500 years or
more. Technical installations in buildings last 30 years, the interior
walls perhaps 15 years. Relative to the larger structures that is a very
short period. I am trying to convince the Flemish authorities that
when it comes to architecture and the environment, we need to erect
buildings which will last a long time."
"We can also reuse waste. At the start of my professional career I
designed a few buildings in which I used
misformed bricks. I
liked them and
they were
cheap. But they
were difficult to
work with."
Carlos Hernandez Pezzi, Madrid, Spain ? architect,
president CSCAE (Spanish High Council of Architects
Association)
"The Spanish
High Council of
Architects Association is working on a
national programme aimed at quality and sustainability. The
reuse of buildings and materials is an important part of this
programme. We have to assess environmental impact throughout
the life of a building - from construction, to use and ultimately,
to recycling."
Stephan Behnisch, Stuttgart, Germany ? architect,
director Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner, visiting
professor University of Yale
"I don't think
that recycling
materials has an
adverse effect
on the quality
of a building.
There are a great many materials
which we can reuse without any loss of quality. At the IBN
Institute in Wageningen, for example, we wanted to use cotton to
provide acoustic insulation. We discovered that most of the `new'
cotton on the market contains many hazardous substances;
especially pesticides. Old T-shirts are far better as insulation
material. A new T-shirt generally contains hazardous substances.
They're usually gone after 10 to 15 washes; about when we're
ready to throw them away."
Frits Schlingemann, Geneva, Switzerland ? director,
regional representative United Nations
Environmental Programme
"There are three
ways to promote
environmental
aspects. We can
organise
information
campaigns to increase
awareness among producers and users. We can also
include environmental aspects in legislation, such as building
regulations. The third way is to provide economic incentives,
such as subsidies or penalties. Which is fine in itself, but we
always need to look at the context: what will it give us and what
will be the cost to producers, for example. And what is the
purpose? Sometimes an information campaign would be the best
approach."
"In terms of sustainability, avoiding adverse environmental
impacts and waste are most important. We first need to influence
production processes ? material use, air pollution and minimise
all other negative effects. Then we can think about reuse.
Recycling is the third step."
"I have also used recycled materials in my own house. Naturally,
we set standards for the quality of these materials, but I set
standards for all the materials used in my house."
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