Livable Cities - London AMPS | City, University of London Page 180 Industrial disposal and construction and demolition waste create the majority of the waste in landfills. A large portion of this waste includes “sludge, oil, slag, ash, food processing residues, solvents, metals, and plastics, with a significant quantity of being hazardous.”18 These varying degrees of hazardous waste have been recycled industrially in order to process them for different uses for a profit. These byproducts have potential to be hazardous and pose a threat to the user, but that is calculated within the cost of recycling. This discourages the reuse of hazardous byproducts. “Waste generated in the early stages of production is generally high in volume and low in resource utility…”19 This can be seen through the extraction of natural resources or raw materials mined and excavated. Despite this liability, there is an opportunity to treat these hazardous materials and byproducts to become non-hazardous to human well-being and become a burden on the ecosystem. For example, by heating “asbestos- containing materials in a sodium hydroxide solution above 1,250 degrees Celsius to break down asbestos” to a non-cancerous product. 20 Regulations regarding material extraction, processing, manufacturing, use, and waste management have been created based on their overall impact on the ecosystem.21 By creating a sequence in which we develop our designs through materials, the problem in which we have faced through climate change and depleting natural resources can be further mitigated. This sequence of architectural construction includes extraction of raw material, modules, elements, structures, the structure itself.22 The “Developments of lightweight, high-strength, and high-performance materials offer the prospect of economy, efficient transport, re-use, and less waste all of which streamline the process cycle.”23 These developments create a new process through the design sequence. The process in which new structures are designed should include the life-cycle of the materials used. Kieran and Timberlake state that “We need more information early on in the process of conception in order to project cost, method, and sequence of assembly into our design considerations so that they will act as positive constraints that make our design solutions powerful because they are lean.”24 The “mass customization of architecture” allows for the details to be customized by project. This allows designers to hone in on the material details along with a wide range of products that are durable, reusable, and non-hazardous to the ecosystem or the human well-being. SCALE AND SCOPE In order to build sustainably for future generations while restoring and retaining historical structures, we must analyze the reuse of the materials in the original building. The use of toxic materials in buildings has been an issue for decades. What was once considered a good insulation, is now harmful to the user. Specifically, in older buildings, these materials have been common use in construction. By understanding the building life-cycle as well as the life-cycle of the material, the material has the opportunity to be repaired, remanufactured, or repurposed. This all varied based on the social, economic, and environmental factors of the build. By preventing waste from entering a landfill, there is a positive impact on the surrounding community and the well-being of the occupants. To accomplish sustainable design for future generations, we must design with the idea of minimal impact. This idea would be consistent throughout all phases of design, construction, and inhabitation. In order to achieve this ideal, we must consider the role of the social, economic, environment, and cultural impact this shift in design would have. By designing for the environment and climate, implementing sustainable systems, such as passive systems, would be properly taken into consideration as well as characteristics of the existing structure. The architectural design process is a sequence of communication, documentation, construction, and occupancy with the stakeholders, builders, contractors, and other design professional. The sustainable design process starts with understanding the needs of the stakeholders while educating them on sustainable practices that will benefit the stakeholder, the occupants, the community, and the environment. The implementation of healthy building material
