Design model through the lens of circularity and blue economy

Abstract

This research presents the initial phase of development of a design model process guided by the core principles of circular economy and marine ecology. The building materials and construction technologies chosen should be environmentally as well as economically friendly. Through energy performance simulations in parallel with experimental validation using the laboratory equipment accessible at the University of Minho has evolved the final design to be energy efficient and climate responsive. This research is an attempt to create a symbiosis between marine ecology and building practices to address circularity and oceanic health. The climate-responsive modelling will be tested on test cells to be built in Guimarães, Portugal, to run thermal, acoustic, and energy performance tests on the building components that are produced by experimenting with innovative materials naturally sourced from the Azores islands, insular territory of Portugal, which are surplus to the locale. One such material is the invasive macroalgae that originated from eastern Asia has been a concern for replacing the endemic species to the islands. Using this abundant macroalgae in the building process can cement the relationship between marine habitat and its surrounding built environment. This can be achieved by creating building components from earth-based biocomposites such as insulation and acoustic panels. The use of plastic resides collected in the sea of Azores will also be considered to be applied in constructions products, such as fibrous insulation for acoustic and thermal performance improvement. These inferences and lab-synthesised materials are to be used on one of the two lightweight test cells, the second one will be built with conventional lightweight constructive systems to be used as a reference. These test cells are expected to continue the building performance evaluation on other locations and serve as a research facility to investigate new materials. The reciprocity of design optimisation for energy performance with innovative building components is created and scientifically tested in the research labs at the Azurem campus of the University of Minho. The overall aim is to create a design model establishing prime parameters applied in the development of architectural design, to achieve a global model that can be flexibly installed in different climatic regions responding to their immediate microclimates. Some of the constructive systems tested developed within this research are intended to be implemented in an eco-cabin which shall be built on Terceira Island, Azores and that can be thus adapted using the design model strategy in order to be applied to different locations.