{"id":4585,"date":"2023-04-19T16:14:30","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T20:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/havenearth.biz\/2023\/04\/19\/canadian-students-design-carbon-zero-hempcrete-center\/"},"modified":"2023-04-19T16:14:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T20:14:30","slug":"canadian-students-design-carbon-zero-hempcrete-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/havenearth.biz\/2023\/04\/19\/canadian-students-design-carbon-zero-hempcrete-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian Students Design Carbon-Zero Hempcrete Center"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Third Space Commons, designed by students, is one of Canada\u2019s first institutional spaces designed to be near-zero embodied carbon. Photo courtesy of UBC<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"Global
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Global Fiber Processing<\/p>\n

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Americhanvre <\/p>\n

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Hemp Build Network<\/p>\n

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by <\/em>Lou Corpuz-Bosshart<\/em><\/a>, UBC<\/em><\/p>\n

University of British Columbia (UBC) students built a hempcrete building that is one of the first \u2018carbon-minimal\u2019 institutional buildings in Canada. Bonus \u2013 it\u2019s Instagram worthy<\/p>\n

This week, UBC welcomes students into a vibrant new teaching and learning space that is one of Canada\u2019s first institutional spaces designed to be near-zero embodied carbon. It\u2019s also the first such building designed by students.<\/p>\n

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The bright and airy 2,400-sq.-ft. wood frame building, called Third Space Commons<\/a>, emitted nearly-zero carbon emissions during construction, a feat that many view to be the final frontier facing carbon emissions reductions across the global building industry.<\/p>\n

Virtually every material, construction technique and design element of the project was chosen for its ability to lower or even capture carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

Third Quadrant Design, a 60-member student team, managed the project from conception through to completion, assembling a group of supportive industry partners<\/a> who provide mentorship and guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sought to create an addition to\u00a0campus that encourages interdisciplinary action on climate change, both as an example and through its eventual use. As a sustainability living lab and flexible collaboration space, we hope Third Space Commons will inspire future building industry leaders and cultivate\u00a0innovation,\u201d says UBC architecture student Katie Theall, the project\u2019s architecture lead.
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Third Quadrant Design team<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The thermal insulation is made of hempcrete \u2013 a mixture of hemp fibres and lime which captures carbon from the atmosphere as it sets. It eventually turns into a concrete-like material but one that\u2019s made primarily out of a renewable, carbon-sequestering natural fibre.<\/p>\n

Real concrete, which accounts for a significant proportion of building construction-related emission in British Columbia and around the world, is virtually absent on the project. The foundation of the building is made of reusable steel piles. The team also choose light wood framing rather than engineered wood for the majority of the building\u2019s structure. The latter is manufactured using glues derived from fossil fuels, which makes it more carbon intensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction waste is an issue we wanted to tackle. We sourced our materials sustainably, prioritizing the adaptive reuse of materials from other construction sites in Vancouver where possible. Our windows, solar panels, appliances, and much of our lumber was on its way to a landfill,\u201d says construction lead and civil engineering student Peter Ehrlich.<\/p>\n

A new, total emissions approach to building construction<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Adam Rysanek<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The team worked hard to account for the carbon impact of every material element of the project\u00a0 \u2013 perhaps the first in B.C. and possibly in Canada to have done so, says Dr. Adam Rysanek<\/a>, an assistant professor of architecture and landscape architecture who advises the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cTypical emissions estimates in the construction industry consider only about 40-60 per cent of a building\u2019s total materials due to a lack of established standards for measuring the rest,\u201d says Dr. Rysanek. \u201cThe Third Quadrant Design team opted to painstakingly account for nearly every material that found its way into the project, including its electrical, heating and ventilation systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recognition of this meticulous approach to carbon accounting, the team recently received the inaugural B.C. Embodied Carbon Award<\/a> for Small Building Construction by the BC Carbon Leadership Forum. The team demonstrated how their project will be responsible for up to 80 per cent less carbon emissions than had it been constructed using traditional techniques and materials.<\/p>\n

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\"Graymont
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Graymont Ltd. <\/p>\n

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Cross-campus support<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Third Quadrant Design is a women-founded team that continues to be 60 per cent women since its first year. Currently it includes students from different disciplines: engineering, architecture, arts and business. Members worked alongside engineering, building and architecture contractors to implement their vision. They received funding support from the UBC faculty of applied science, the Sauder School of Business and the UBC president\u2019s office. In addition to Dr. Rysanek, other faculty members also contributed time and advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Third Quadrant Design, we see a tremendous example of our faculty\u2019s strategic priorities coming together,\u201d\u00a0says Dr. James Olson, dean of the faculty of applied science.\u00a0\u201cIt features a diverse, women-led student team that is supported by world-class faculty members, that partnered with industry, and constructed a beautiful building and set a new standard for environmentally friendly facilities on campus. I\u2019m extremely proud of this team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A rendering the building. Image courtesy University of British Columbia<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Third Space Commons also serves as the team\u2019s entry into the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge<\/a>, an international, biannual competition held to celebrate\u00a0innovative and high-performance housing design.<\/p>\n

The team hopes the new space inspires construction of future sustainable buildings in B.C. and beyond, said Dr. Rysanek.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Third Space Commons we now have a prototype for how we can get to truly net-zero carbon in building design, particularly for low-rise homes, schools and multifamily dwellings,\u201d says Dr. Rysanek. \u201cMore than anything, the team is demonstrating how sustainability and regenerative design can lead to buildings that are both carbon-minimal and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Offered as part of a special partnership between USHBA and HempBuildMag. HempBuildMag receives a commission through this arrangement.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Hemp Building Directory <\/p>\n

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Old Pueblo Hemp Co.<\/p>\n

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