Material Library

Low Carbon Material Library

Material choices are a fundamental part of architectural design. They shape not only how our buildings look, but also their carbon impact, their warmth, their durability, their breathability. Our in office Low Carbon Material Library is a guide and inspiration for all of our projects. We update it on a regular basis focussing on bio-based materials and the circularity potential of materials. It catalogues a potential set of materials for our architects to choose from and includes key criteria such as embodied carbon, recycled content, water use, cost and durability. We also look at all the standard building components be that board materials (there are many alternatives to plasterboard), various types of insulation or structural materials. Examples of materials you can find include:

• a clay and straw block alternative to a concrete block – a Strock,
• a corrugated external wall panel made from compressed hemp fibres
• an acoustic wall panel made of seaweed
• a custom glass (developed for 82 Baker Street- (link to 82 Baker street page)) with an interstitial layer fabric to provide solar shading and privacy

If you would like more information please see Architecture Today’s article about our material library: https://architecturetoday.co.uk/materials-library-marks-barfield-architects/

And if you have a great new material that meets our ideals why not contact us (info@marksbarfield.com) and tell us more!