Building and Living in Harmony with the Environment

Where does it come from and where does it go

Bioconstructions seek ecological, economic and social viability of their application and maintenance. They are based on the use of abundant materials from the region and do not cause typical impacts of large extractive industries, reducing manufacturing costs, pollution in transport. Local labor is valued through cooperative and solidary relationships where the residents themselves and the community can actively participate in the construction. These natural constructions are integrated to nature and belong to it and the whole relationship between building and living is re-signified.

What is Bioconstruction?

This is a way of building that integrates with nature and has the principle of causing low environmental impact, from conception to occupation.

The main features of bioconstructions are:

Passive use of Natural Resources:

  • Temperature control through cross ventilation and thermal materials;

  • Capture and reuse of rainwater;

  • Heating water through solar energy;

Use of Ecological Materials:

  • Construction with raw earth (adobe, mud, etc.);

  • Green roof / ecological tiles;

Waste Management:

  • Treatment of sewage from bathrooms in biodigester or vermifilters;

  • Gray water treatment (shower, tank, etc.) through the use of root beds;

  • Reduction and elimination of rubble during construction;

  • Reuse of materials for construction (glass bottles and PET bottles filled with plastics such as brick).

Everything comes from nature, but the way we modify materials makes them toxic and non-degradable, consequently accumulating and destroying the planet's soil!

The greater the generation of waste, the greater the pollution.

The construction industry is one of the main pollution vectors. It is responsible for 51% to 70% of urban solid waste, 33% of global energy consumption and 39% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The disposal of building materials is expensive and extremely harmful to the ecosystem. Usually done irregularly, waste further degrades soils and collective health in cities.

The bioconstructive techniques

This way of building is also called vernacular architecture. The word vernacular is derived from the Latin vernacŭlus, which means, belonging to that place or country of birth, native. It is a typical architectural style of the place, which reflects its culture and traditions, is adapted to the local climate and built with regional techniques and materials.

  • Superadobe

    Known as the bagged earth technique, this is a process where bags are filled with compressed clay. The moistened earth is placed inside bags and pounded with the help of a tamper. In the form of a row, they are placed one on top of the other until it reaches the desired height, after which the wall is plastered. It is a low cost technique with high thermal and acoustic comfort, and resistant to various disturbances.

  • Taipa

    Taipa, Hand Taipa or Pau a Pique is an old technique with low cost and minimal environmental impacts. In it, interlaced wooden panels are built. These panels are composed of vertical rods, which are fixed to the ground, and horizontal rods tied by vines, rope, or, in some cases, fixed by nails. These spaces are filled with clay, providing unique thermal comfort.

The act of building is also a social relationship

Bioconstructions follow a different logic from conventional constructions and reflect their own social relationship. The social relationship that makes natural and traditional constructions possible is cooperative and solidary, therefore, such constructions are usually carried out through joint efforts where, in addition to being built, it is a space for celebration, meetings and conversations on different topics that affect the community.

The main materials used

Soil

Raw earth, or clay, is the most abundant material in most locations. Usually used to build the walls, it allows high thermal and acoustic comfort and safety against bad weather.

Wood

From reforestation or conscious removal from the site, through the reuse of pruning or as a control of dry trees to prevent fires, wood is an abundant material.

Stone

There are many stone rich sites. They can be used for various purposes, such as foundations, walls, walls and ovens. In some cases they can even be used as a roof.

Straw

Straw is a lightweight construction material that is easy to install. Of diverse use, it has application since roofs, in the improvement of the resistance of mud bricks and even in the construction of walls.

Each Ecosystem has its appropriate Buildings

The smartness of a building cannot be measured by whether or not it is connected to the computer networks that remotely turn on the air conditioning. A smart home is one that does not need air conditioning. In hot places, for example, lightweight roofing materials such as straw are plentiful in nature. These materials are there because they are more suitable and provide greater comfort. We live in a logic of massive construction that determined the same material for construction all over the world, that is, bricks burned in ovens, cement and iron. The result is constructions that do not meet human well-being and the peculiarities of each location. A house built in the desert or the arctic uses the same materials. The immediate result is greater energy expenditure to cool the home in the desert and heat the home in the arctic.