Traditional materials used as sustainable materials

Evolution of materials used in construction

The acquisition of materials used in construction has undergone many changes throughout history. Until recently, societies were rural, so they obtained materials from the nearest environment. In a very similar way, this was done in cities during the Middle Ages. In Europe, in the historical center of many urban cores, it is common to find houses built using the blocks from the cathedral. In this way, the city developed feeding on its own history with a type of growth that could well be called organic. It can therefore be said that until relatively recently, the impact caused by buildings on the territory and the environment was quite mild. With the arrival of the modern world and the industrial revolution in the mid-19th century, this situation changes radically. The means of extraction and manufacturing become much more powerful, and energy is obtained at an increasingly lower cost. Consequently, construction processes have a significant impact on the natural environment, which is altered by earth movements, open pit extractions, or wind farms with an increasingly evident impact on the landscape.

Sustainable materials

• They are materials whose acquisition or manufacturing uses renewable energies
• When they complete their life cycle they have consumed little energy
• Their manufacturing and installation process can be standardized
• They are durable

Metals undergo a manufacturing and transformation period whose cost is usually very high as well. The melting process and subsequent surface treatments to obtain antioxidant properties such as galvanizing increase energy consumption and cause CO2 emissions during the manufacturing process. On the contrary, they are one of the most suitable materials for optimizing the recycling process.

Undoubtedly, wood is one of the materials that can be considered the most sustainable since, at the end of its life cycle, this material can be recovered entirely, either to make particle boards or to be used as ecological fuel. However, prior to its use, it is necessary to verify the management of the forest area from which it comes. To avoid the toxicity of anti-humidity treatments and protection against wood-boring insects, products composed of vegetable resins have been developed.