Bio-crete

Articles Tagged with: Bio-crete

5 April, 2016

Indicators of Social Impact in Architectural Design

This article proposes six unusual indicators of social impact in architectural design. The obvious starting place to look for such indicators are the green building standards, but they’re not yet to be found here. In fact, the opposite may be true: in Malaysia you can get a Malaysian Green Building Index (GBI) rating for a gated and guarded community, which glorifies social inequality as being ‘green’.

The following indicators have been derived from the Arkitrek Principles of Sustainable Design, first published in 2013, and they are a close fit with other emerging thinkers. Jeremy Gibberd, a South African architect who is working on a sustainable buildings assessment tool says that “sustainable buildings should assess not only the performance of buildings in terms of sustainability but also assess the extent of the building’s contribution to supporting and developing more sustainable systems around it”.

In September 2015, Arkitrek committed to report all newly completed projects using the SEED Evaluator (Social Economic Environmental Design), which considers indicators, such as: contextual relevance, inclusivity, social equality and culture. The following six indicators are proposed as examples of social impacts that can be reported in an open-ended, contextually relevant format, such as is espoused by SEED. Indicators such as energy and resource efficiency, which can be measured by numbers, are also important, but not included here because they are well documented in green building standards.

Does architecture represent who you are: your values, your culture and your identity? Is architecture protecting, enhancing and respecting cultural identity? This is Joiwit from Kg. Buayan and we’ve coached him to adapt his handicraft tradition of weaving to make building cladding. Yes, this building protects cultural identity and goes further by creating livelihoods for Joiwit and other weavers.

These people are oil palm workers at Keresa Plantation near Bintulu in Sarawak. Keresa have been awarded Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. Much of the certification process looks at working and living conditions of the workers. Arkitrek was invited to run a participatory design workshop to engage the workers in the design of their new housing. This community was included in decision making that will affect them and the design and planning of the housing areas were improved as a result.

In addition to the impact made by a construction worker in his underpants (look closely at the photo), there is a very tangible impact on this guy’s family if he falls from the 10th floor because there was no railing. We can aim to prove our social impact by reporting fewer and fewer accidents, disease and illness both during construction and for the life of a building.

Buildings can cost many millions of ringgit to build, but where does all the money go? Asking who earns what can identify potential areas for social impact. For example: we can set a target for a certain percentage to go to local suppliers. If there are no local suppliers then why not train some, like we did with Joiwit and his Bamboo Weave?

This is easy to report, but is it a social impact? Through architectural design we can reach a lot of beneficiaries: our two projects at Sepilok: The Orang-utan Outdoor Nursery viewing building and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, reach over 200,000 beneficiaries (tourists) per year. A more interesting question is: “who are the beneficiaries and how are they changing as a result of our architecture?”

Who Owns What? This is not a question that is asked very often when considering social impacts, but it should. The above image is from an MOU for a community tourism project that Arkitrek worked on. We lobbied hard for this clause in the MOU that recognised that as a community tourism project there should be the potential for community ownership.

In aiming to create positive social impacts, Arkitrek looks for synergy between different indicators, for example: Bamboo weave is a building cladding material that can let in natural light and ventilation, but keep out rain, glare and drafts. The skill to make it comes from an indigenous handicraft tradition and for materials it requires management of land for growth of bamboo, rattan and ferns. The material on the left above is ‘Bio-crete’; a mixture of lime, sand and agricultural waste fibres. This low-carbon material can passively regulate temperature and humidity inside a building making air-conditioning either cheaper or unnecessary.

Synergy comes from connected mutually sustaining processes, like an ecosystem. The unique and complex thing about Arkitrek is that we are creating a whole ecosystem within the construction industry. In this ecosystem our impacts are cyclical and creative: the impacts of one process are to create opportunities for another.

14 September, 2015

Buayan: A Story of Serendipity

Buayan is situated in the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve and is on the famous Salt Trail route which makes it a huge potential to be developed into a tourist attraction. The idea of a homestay and tourist visiting is not an uncommon occurrence to the community in Buayan. However, the Bio-Cultural Centre aims to further enhance Buayan as a favorable tourism destination which offers not only beautiful nature sights and scene but also the chance to learn the local’s culture. The centre serves as a place for Buayan and its surrounding communities to gather, perform, practice, learn and share their cultures with each other and also visitors.

Back in 2013, Arkitrek first collaborated with the Global Diversity Foundation and a team of design students from Edinburgh, UK to design and build a Bio-Cultural Centre. The team came up with the perfect design for the centre and got to work immediately with the construction of the building.

At the end of their 6 weeks, they had designed and built the entirety of the super-structure alongside some additional fun details which includes the bamboo peep wall, earthbag formed concrete amphitheatre and a floating bamboo staircase. Because of some tough challenges they had faced along the way, the project was not completed on time and were left in the hands of the community and other future volunteers to carry on the construction work.

That same year, a group of young enthusiastic Malaysian volunteers supervised by Arkitrekker Tom Henderson-Schwartz and Nadhira then took on the project by constructing the walls of the Bio-Cultural Heritage Centre while the village men continue with the roof. The team also managed to lay almost the entirety of the building with the treated bamboo for the floor which was another great addition to the building’s progress.

The following year, another group of volunteers known as Dissolva, a group of students from Gakushuin University, Japan visited Buayan to help out with the construction of the Bio-Cultural Heritage Centre. They were supervised by Arkitrekker Nurfilzah Jamjam. During their stay at Buayan, they helped to build a toilet, plaster the Biocrete walls and weave bamboo window/wall panels for the building. Though they had no experience with the work, they were able to get the job done and accomplished a lot.

Just recently, another Dissolva team visited Buayan to carry out volunteer work to construct the Bio-Cultural Heritage Centre and it was lovely that Arkitrek was given another opportunity to collaborate with them again. The 10 day programme that consisted of workshops, presentations and building work with the group went smoothly and resulted in satisfactory completion of the Bio-Cultural Heritage Centre.

Filzah, who has been handling the project for over two years now has seen how the project progressed since the time it was only a conceptual idea. She said, “It is such a warm feeling to see the community using the building fully. They talk about organising a weaving workshop, putting up the history information board with pictures and the craft work.”

Having to see a project bud from the ground until its completion is always such a rewarding experience for an Arkitrekker but what is most fulfilling is having the opportunity to form lasting friendships along the way with the communities Arkitrek works with and knowing that the project will benefit them in the long-run. Not only that, but Filzah also mentioned how the project has taught her a lot and motivated her into staying in the architecture field.

“I now wonder what if the project had finished as planned two year ago instead? Would I still feel the same? Would I come back to work here in Arkitrek? Would Tom do a different dissertation paper?” were just some of the questions that loomed above Filzah’s head at the aftermath of the project’s success. Let’s just say that maybe the delay of our Bio-Cultural Heritage Centre project was Filzah’s ‘serendipity’.

Many thanks to all who in one way or another were involved in this project! It’s safe to say all efforts big or small definitely paid off- Even if it took 3 years to complete, it was all worth the time 🙂

2 September, 2015

The Fig Tree @ Kiulu Eco-Lodge

Photos by Arkitrek and Borneo Eco Tours

Another milestone for ecotourism in Sabah is celebrated with the completion of ‘The Fig Tree’ @ Kiulu Farmstay, designed and built by a team of architect students in just two months. The community based ecotourism project is tucked in a perfect clearing in the jungle that is overlooking the beautiful Kiulu River.

The launching ceremony of ‘The Fig Tree’ @ Kiulu Farmstay was officiated by Y.B. Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board. Datuk Joniston highlighted the abundance of nature and beauty which Kiulu is endowed with, stating that “Kiulu has magnificent landscapes and one of the cleanest rivers in Sabah.”

Arkitrekkers with (from left front row): Timothy and Managing Director Albert Teo of Borneo Eco Tours, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board Y.B. Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and Arkitrek Managing Director Ian Hall.

‘The Fig Tree’ @ Kiulu Farmstay is a modest two-bedroom self-sufficient ecolodge that is complete with a kitchen, a bathroom and also a dining area. This lodging facility will be a great commodity for the tourists or guests that visit Kiulu and at the same time boosts Kiulu as a favourable tourism destination and this in turn will help to increase the livelihood of the community there.

“The Fig Tree ecolodge together with Mitabang homestay will form the backbone of our new “Integrated Approach” to develop ecotourism products which will include buffalo riding, fish spa, hiking, river tubing, rafting, quad biking among others,” said Managing Director of Borneo Eco Tours, Albert Teo.

For the past ten months, Borneo Eco Tours have been collaborating with Arkitrek, BEST Society and the communities of Kampung Mantob, Kampung Pinagon Baru and Kampung Dumpiring. This joint venture will create community based ecolodge with benefits that can be attained by the villages of Kiulu.

Borneo Eco Tours have asked Arkitrek to assist in the project and have recruited a team who call themselves Arkitrekkers to design and build the ecolodge. The team which consists of twelve participants who come from Malaysia, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and Spain were led by Rory Thor Dickens from Scotland on this, his third trip to Sabah.

The design and structure of ‘The Fig Tree’ reflects the rich culture of Borneo and is built using wood and bamboo that is locally sourced and treated as well as biocrete walling that blends in with the surrounding jungle environment. The Arkitrekkers used ‘silou’ or also known as split bamboo walling as a formwork for bio-crete which further enhances the traditional look of the building. The bamboos were locally harvested and rice husk waste from the villages was recycled to make the bio-crete. Managing Director of Arkitrek, Ian Hall said in his speech that the idea of the design of the ecolodge was to incorporate both traditional as well as contemporary elements together to make it more unique.

Datuk Joniston Bangkuai had also mentioned in his speech during the ceremony that the Sabah State Government has just recently increased efforts to develop tourism in rural areas in Sabah which provides Kiulu and other rural areas in the state greater opportunities to participate in more ecotourism programmes.

14 April, 2014

Ulu Papar Sustainable Livelihoods Programme

Cover photo by Chai Ming Yang
Download this Sustainable Livelihoods Concept Paper

Ulu Papar is a community of several villages not far from Kota Kinabalu, the State Capital of Sabah. In one of the villages, Kampung Buayan, Arkitrek have been building the Ulu Papar Bio-cultural Heritage Centre. Ulu Papar was until recently only accessible by foot and this isolation has preserved a traditional culture based on shifting rice cultivation. As the influence of urbanisation and industrial agriculture begin to penetrate the region, the question is: how will the locals adapt their livelihoods in a way that upholds their identity and culture?

Community Research What (what we’ve achieved so far)

A Global Diversity Foundation (GDF) programme of participatory research and interactive training has allowed the Ulu Papar community to document and evaluate their indigenous knowlege and cultural heritage. This self awareness and the skills learned are intended to support sustainable livelihoods based on traditional knowledge. Now, at the conclusion of this programme, there is a need to switch from direct training to indirect support and partnerships that will allow the community to develop these livelihoods under their own initiative.

Bio-cultural Heritage Centre (Kick-starting Sustainable Livelihoods)

The first stage in the Sustainable Livelihoods process has been kick-started by the design and construction of a Bio-cultural Heritage Centre, which was designed, project managed and funded by Arkitrek, with additional funding raised by GDF.

Of MYR60,000 spent on construction to date, approximately MYR28,000 went directly to community members for transport and construction services, with an additional MYR17,000 in direct income from homestay services provided for international volunteers working on the project. During the construction process Arkitrek trained community members to adapt their traditional skills and materials to contemporary building design. These skills provide opportunity for sustainable future livelihoods.

To date, Arkitrek has also contributed pro-bono design and construction management services to the value of MYR40,000 to the Bio-Cultural Centre project.

How Can Arkitrek Continue to Help?

First, we need to raise funds to complete the Bio-cultural Centre and recruit volunteers to work alongside local craftsmen to get the job done. Remember that this is not just a building, but also a training programme in sustainable building techniques and a source of income for local craftsmen and homestays.

Secondly, we can provide additional pro-bono design services through our Arkitrek Camp design/build programme. These programmes help to train the next generation of socially responsible designers. We are looking for funds so that we can provide scholarships to outstanding Malaysian students.

Thirdly, we have developed a masterclass programme for Ulu Papar craftsmen to pass on their traditional skills and contemporary green-building expertise to eco-warriors, do-it-youself enthusiasts, scholars and designers.

All of these activities provide an opportunity to trek through the beautiful Crocker Range National Park and to experience the natural wonders of Ulu Papar, guided by the people who know it best: the locals.

Legacy (Savvy locals proud of their heritage)

The hard skills and knowledge gained from GDF and Arkitrek programmes have equipped the Ulu Papar community to deliver a range of goods and services, whose focus on natural and cultural heritage is increasingly in demand by urban society.
To get involved in our Sustainable Livelihoods Programme for Ulu Papar, please contact us.
Download this Sustainable Livelihoods Concept Paper

20 May, 2013

Bongkud biocrete blocks

Pressed bio-crete bricks as a low-carbon locally produced building material. This report by Safuan Azman looks at the workability of biocrete mixes produced in Bongkud, a rural village near Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. The experiment is funded by Camps International to develop locally appropriate green building materials.

In an earlier article on The Wonders of Biocrete we discussed how building with lime-based materials could be streamlined through the production of pre-cast blocks. A big challenge with lime-based materials is the curing time and we guessed that by using a mechanical brick press we could quickly produce bio-crete blocks that would hold their own shape while they cured.

Using the CETA Ram brick press design widely available on the internet we began our experiment using different locally available natural fibres and varying their proportions together with lime, cement, sand and water. We used cement initially, for reference, and our intention is to learn how to avoid it completely.

BIO-CRETE BRICKS

by Safuan Azman and Camp Bongkud

Objective of Experiment

Camp Borneo is keen to have their own unique product of construction materials in accordance with their theme and identity of exploring and conserving nature and engaging with communities. Similarly Arkitrek aims to conserve natural resources through design. Popularising bio-crete will allow us to reduce or phase out the energy intensive, environmentally harmful and non-renewable quarrying for cement and mineral aggregates in favour of more responsible alternatives.

What are we looking to find out from this experiment?
• Most suitable ratio of ingredients to produce a bio-crete brick using a brick press.
• Method statement of the overall process: the tools, procedure and the mistakes made.
• How different natural fibres behave in bio-crete.

The types of natural fibre to be tested in this experiment are:
• Coconut coir in big chunks
• Coconut coir in finer fibres
• Rice Husk
• Rice Straw – only available after the harvesting period in April
• Betel Nut – One of the villages proposed the fibre of betel nuts when they saw me working on the coconut coir. We have not tested it yet

To make quantifying easier mix proportions were made up by volume rather than mass. I have decided to adopt the yellow bucket as a unit of measurement.

Method Statement – Experiment 1-3 (see method statement for experiments 4-9 below)

1) Each ingredient was measured with the yellow bucket and was mixed in a wheelbarrow.
2) Coconut coir was soaked in a yellow bucket of water for about 3 hours.
3) Sand, lime and cement were mixed together before the coir was added.
4) Water was added in stages to ensure consistency.
5) When loading the press we pre-pressed by hand to ensure the cement/lime and sand filled the mould evenly to avoid any holes and breakage during compression.
6) We jiggled the press up and down to ensure the brick was fully compressed.
7) The brick produced then was left to harden briefly before being moved onto plywood.

Notes on improving this method

1. Mix using a better surface than a wheelbarrow for a more precise result.

2. Find a better way to transfer the brick straight away from the press for curing so that the next mix can be poured (for continuous production). Perhaps placing a thin plastic sheet on the base plate before loading and pull it out along with the brick once it is pressed.

3. We noticed that when we pressed the mix the lime seemed to come out from the sides of the plate/mould as liquid, which made me think that we used too much water or the mix ratio was otherwise unsuitable.

Test Mix No1

The first experiment saw the brick was too runny/wet and unable to hold its shape, which from my opinion caused by incorrect quantity of water (too much) and sand (too little). During this first try out we have found out that the main problem with the press is the method of moving the wet bricks away to be cured. The best mix may not have enough strength to hold its shape when been lifted up.

Test Mix No2

The second experiment we conducted with the idea to increase the strength by increasing the ratio of sand. We also wanted to learn how a lower water content will affect workability and final strength and also how well the brick retains its’ shape. We reduced the water and increased the lime to ensure better binding strength with the fibre and sand.

The result of the second experiment was much more convincing, the brick has much more strength to hold its shape, but we still think we have to reduce the quantity of water. This time we decided to let the brick dry for 1 hour on the press before we moved it onto plywood. The Brick is still hardening and the next step will be to test its strength.
The second mix we made has a bit of leftover, so the next experiment we will consider reducing a tiny bit of sand or coir.

Test Mix Nos3&4

After the 2nd experiment we have decided to reduce the amount of sand, as to improve its compressibility, and to have less water to see its capability of holding up the shape. This time we used finer coconut coir fibre which been cut to approximately 2inch to see its workability and strength. The finer coir is more compressible and the amount compacted in the wheelbarrow is much more significant.

We improvised the brick press by putting a plastic sheet to the base plate, to help us move the brick right away.

The brick that came out was much sturdier, and the lack of water made it drier and better in holding up the shape. With less sand the brick seemed to be better compressed than before without it’s shape being affected. The finer fibre was pretty impressive as we think it was properly mixed and spread better than the previous one and made the brick easier to compress even though it might have effect on its tensile strength.

The plastic sheet seemed to contain the lime from leaking and it was pretty much collected at the bottom of the brick (where the plastic sheet is).

I made a silly mistake by moving the fresh pressed brick on to uneven plywood which caused the brick to bend a little as it cured.

Test Mix No5

We decided to try maximising the percentage of natural fibre to lime/sand/cement and use less water. We also intended to reduce and then eliminate cement to see how lime behaves on its own. I decided to use small portion of fine sand hoping it can help filling small gap and reduce ‘cave’ all around the brick.

The result was that the brick was too runny and couldn’t hold its shape and we didn’t add enough fibre so that the mould couldn’t be fully filled. Earlier during the mixing, I noticed that bigger chunks of coir prevented the mix from spreading and blended evenly and requiring extra water for workability. During this mix I avoided using the big chunks of coir as shown in the photo below as it will reduce compressibility and won’t blend evenly with others.

Test Mix No6

This time we decided to take longer time (about 30-35mins) to mix the coir and other ingredients thoroughly (figure above). We didn’t use cement because, as from previous experiment with minimal cement, the lime seemed reliable in gluing up the mix. We added more fibre but then we wasted 1 portion when we couldn’t load any more in the mould, hence for the next experiment we were thinking of reducing the ration of fibre or cut them into finer fibre.

The result was pretty impressive. The brick held its shape well, one of the reasons being that we took care to compress the mix by hand during loading (about 15mins). We loaded the press layer by layer and pressed them hard especially at the sides. Lime and sand and water seemed to mix rather perfectly with the coir and the result can be seen in the photo below.

We recommend using finer fibre as it helps make the mix more workable and saves time. It looks good too. With this we have a workable and practical ratio, avoiding cement all together and maximising the use of natural fibre.

Test Mix No7

In this experiment we used rice husk as the natural fibre to investigate its properties compared to coconut coir. I tried the same ratio as the last coconut coir experiment and was dead wrong. The compact rice husks sit together closely leaving a minimum gap for other ingredients to blend in. Unlike coconut coir the 8 portion of rice husk can produce 2 bricks with leftover.

Consequently the lime and sand ratio in this experiment was totally wrong, being too little to hold 8 portions of rice husk. We became aware of the problem during mixing and tried to mitigate by adding 1 portion of cement. This helped a little. We added significantly more water to help the binding but the mix still dried out. During the loading of the press we found it hard to compress the mix and only managed to load about 1.5 portions, wasting the rest of the mix.

Test Mix No8

The objective this time was to get the right amount of mix for one brick. Based on the previous experiment we decided to use 3 portions of the rice husk hoping it would fill the mould perfectly. And it did, after we compacted it carefully and slowly. Every layer was pressed using a piece of wood until a little bit of water came out at at the top and the side. The brick we got was pretty strong, held its shape well and has smooth square edges, except for the top surface where it was a little bit flaky. I think that this happened because we lost some compression due to the last load being too thick. When we closed the lid it just swept away the compressed surface.

Method Statement for Exp 5-8

1. Measure all the ingredients using a marked yellow bucket.
2. Soak the coconut coir in water for 30mins. Remove any big chunks of coir. It is highly recommended to cut the coir into smaller pieces (2”) for better workability and compressibility.
3. Mix dry ingredients (cement/lime/sand) until consistent, removing any big gravel. Mix on a dry, flat and clean surface eg. concrete floor or plywood
4. Mix the coconut coir with dry ingredients thoroughly (we took around half an hour) using either hand or trowel or both. Keep tearing the coir apart to ensure an even mix.
6. Slowly and gradually, add water to the mix until it reaches ‘good consistency’ for pressing. To determine what ‘good consistency’ is we used some of the mix to make a ‘mini ball’ compacted by hand. From this we could judge the bonding strength and whether more water is needed.
7. Slip in a plastic sheet onto the base of the mould beforehand.
8. Carefully load the mix into the mould, layer by layer and pre-compress them by hand or using a piece of wood. Repeat these actions until the mould is full. Remember this step has to be done patiently and carefully so we can ensure that the maximum volume of fibre can be added to the mould.
9. Close the press lid, and press the brick halfway, without opening the lid to ensure it is tightly pressed.
10. Open the lid and press the brick out of the mould at once.
11. Before you move the brick, ensure to have a piece of nice flat plywood next to the press so that the brick can be moved out smoothly.
**For the rice husk, ignore step 2 and 4.

Table of properties-the experiments so far

12 3