Improving Policy and Practice
Waste Not, Want Not: A New Hypothesis for Waste and Architecture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Elizabeth Gilligan
The repositioning of materials in architecture from superficial surfaces to elements that need to be understood through physical contact and informed research-lead exploration, has begun. As architects take a step away from the digital space and back into the world of materials, the growing question among practices and universities is: Can material development be harnessed into a design-led practice? This research project proposes a new methodology that locates the architect within the early stages of material development, in collaboration with other experts, and questions what the architect’s contribution is to the process. The specific process in question is the challenging development of a sustainable facade/component, made of concrete using waste streams and acting as a biotope for plants, microbes and micro-organisms. The project throws up many questions e.g. Why can’t building façades grow/absorb water or dirt? Can a concrete façade act as a habitat or biotope? These questions are framed both within the context of design and material development. The implications for this research are that we better understand what happens when a designer (in this case, an architect) is placed in the navigating seat of material development. And whether their expertise contributes to the creation of materials and components that are better designed to meet the end users need; commercially viable; aesthetically oriented.
Sustainable Urban Development Indicators and Prediction for Cities of Punjab, Pakistan
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sajid Ahmad, Abdul Qadir, Ambreen Ghalib
Pakistan has about 35% of the total population lived in the urban area, research on the consequences of urbanization on the urban environment, social and economic development is significant and reasonable. This study illustrates the effects of rapid urbanization and industrialization on the urban sustainable development of Punjab. Five cities of Punjab were selected i.e., Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi to address economic, social and environmental progress. A system dynamic model was developed to formulate, simulate and validate the urban sustainable development. Furthermore, development has been observed within the time period from 2014 to 2040 by using STELLA software. The output of the study indicates that the overall degradation of the environment in all the cities. On the other hand, social and economic development was timely increasing. The challenges to achieving urban sustainable development will be primarily difficult in Pakistan. This study is useful to determine the present and forecasted condition of cities and provides better practices for resource management.
Past Challenges and Possible Future Development in Household Food Waste Management
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hsu Cherie, Jane Lu
Government strategizes to maintain environmental sustainability in food waste management; however, the rate of recycling and composting food waste remain low in households. In Taiwan, household food waste has a channel for decomposition from kitchen to land as organic fertilizers. However, the percentage of recycling stays around eight to eleven percent. Household food waste consists of oil, carbohydrates, protein, peels, fibers, shells, and bones. Proper recycling provides a systematic decomposition of the food waste to be reused and certain amount of carbon footprint can be offset. This study collects data of household food waste recycling from government publications to examine national-wide recycling rate. In-depth interviews and survey are administered to reveal rationales behind the low recycling rate of household food waste in metropolitan areas. The contribution of this study is to provide strategic suggestions for the administration to effectively disseminate information to promote household food waste reduction and recycling.
