The sweet spot: retrofit with biobased insulation

PENS-234 / 4 crédits

Enseignant(s): Habert Guillaume, Islam Summer Saud, Iweins D'Eeckhoutte Antoine Pierre Marie, Malterre-Barthes Charlotte

Langue: Anglais

Withdrawal: It is not allowed to withdraw from this subject after the registration deadline.

Summary

Through this practical workshop exploring low-carbon ways of retrofitting buildings, students will collaborate on a biobased building set in rewilded farmland near London, in the UK. The workshop will explore straw-based insulation materials and cover the theory and practice of their application.

Content

This course is a hands-on, practical building skills programme designed in collaboration with the ETH Chair for Sustainable Construction. Through this practical workshop exploring low-carbon ways of retrofitting buildings, students will collaborate on a biobased building set in rewilded farmland near London, in the UK. The workshop will explore straw-based insulation materials and cover the theory and practice of their application.

The lectures prior to the in-situ week-long workshop will address the potential that using bio-based materials holds in bringing about systemic change in an industry faced with major challenges, as well as how environmental engineering can be deployed hand-in-hand with architectural design to develop low-embodied carbon and low operational carbon buildings.

Keywords

Low-embodied carbon, retrofit, biobased, decarbonize, comfort, building skills, practical

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Explore the relative environmental impact of different insulation materials
  • Construct with biobased insulations in retrofit scenarios
  • Describe the use and application of straw and other biobased insulations
  • Explain the relationships of thermal efficiency and vapour permeability

Transversal skills

  • Take responsibility for health and safety of self and others in a working context.

Teaching methods

On site building skill demonstrations

Lectures and presentations

Group discussions

Expected student activities

Working with straw and other biobased insulation materials to line out an existing structure

 

Resources

Moodle Link

Dans les plans d'études

  • Semestre: Printemps
  • Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
  • Matière examinée: The sweet spot: retrofit with biobased insulation
  • Cours: 4 Heure(s)
  • Exercices: 22 Heure(s)
  • Projet: 22 Heure(s)
  • Type: optionnel

Semaine de référence

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