On thu 25th Oct 2012 we went on our annual visit to CAT in Machynlleth in Mid Wales. It was without doubt, the largest cohort we've ever taken and we were joined by UW's Sustainability manager Katy Boom, her deputy Matt Smith, Learning and Teaching's John Peters and staff and students from an environment-related MA Course in Hereford.
We met with lecturer Jo Gwillim for our annual updated talk from him on the nature of sustainability across a range of genres. Jo's talk (as ever) was excellent and both informative and humorous. He also talked us through the many properties of materials (using building materials as examples). The notion that some materials take a lot of CO2 to generate but are easy to recycle and re-use, was a new one to many in the group and it left us all with something additional to think about in terms of materials use and considerations.
Great day out as ever - big thanks to all at CAT (including Clare Beesley and Ann Macgarry as well as Jo) for helping to set the visit up.
Some pictures for this year's visit:
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| Materials lecture looking at the properties of those on display. |
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| More examination of materials inc hemp and lime render etc. |
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Some of the 2012 Green Design Group wait for the
water gondola. |
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Some of the group going up to the CAT site in the quarry
on CAT's water gondola. |
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Ace sustainability tutor Jo Gwillim talks though the nature
of materials and CO2 usage. |
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One of CAT's polytunnels - so full of goodies that they were
giving away the surplus on tables outside! |
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| Two group members test one of the interactive exhibits on site. |
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The view from the teaching room in the WISE Centre out
across the CAT site with the hills in the background. |
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| Water gondolas from above. |
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| Close-up of the distant Welsh Mountains. |
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| Surplus goodies from the polytunnels. |
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| Excellent Earth over on site - can I have one please? |
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View of one of the quiet courtyards at CAT - built
on the remains of an old slate quarry. |
CAT Lecture Commentary .mp3 [here] 105Mb
Session Task
Tues 30th and Thu 1st: Your Thoughts & Feedback
N.B. Please add your replies as a 'comment' to this blog post. Please use any browser but not Safari to do so as it's a bit funny with blogs.
Before your answers in your comment, please write:
A. Your name.
B. Which session you're in (i.e. tues or thu).
Reflective questions to answer:
1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module? If 'yes' then please give an idea where you'd heard about them.
2. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site. For example it could be methods of reducing CO2 discussed, the varying views of the 'future' given the issues of oil and climate change or maybe the idea of 'real worth' with materials and artifacts (i.e. remember Jo explaining that one torch would appear to be the most sustainable but in practise another was simpler and more effective).
3. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked-up while at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, their self sufficiency with solar etc and/or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 etc).
4. Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?
Early start but a good day out!
ReplyDeleteClaire Gee - Tues session GDES3003
ReplyDelete1. No
2. CAT visit feedback
http://www.cat.org.uk/
After spending time at the Centre of Alternative Technology it had a curd to me that not all the building can be 'green'. When having the presentation from Jo the issue when building the WISE structure is to make the construction accessible to make for everyone and this in my opinion makes it less eco and less sustainable. However the resources that they have are a lot of slate and textures such as cork that they use for insulation and the wool and fibre glass. The idea of constructing one of their circular buildings out of just compressed earth has also shown the innovatory sensation they have brought to this place.
3. Around the sight consists of designs that they are being re-used in many ways. Take a gander at the photos and one of the inspiring ideas is the seat that rises up and down that is linked to the wind turbine. In your opinion that could not be relevant to the whole eco feel as it is not practical however this is still entertaining to the visitors. The other innovating idea that inspired me was one of the workers making beautiful things out of wood. The idea that you use your surroundings and make something new is totally what i consider as being ecological.
4. Second use and sustainability and making the product essay to make.
Matthew Maynard (Tuesday Group)
ReplyDelete1) I have heard of the name before from word of mouth. However I never really knew about what they do.
2) It was interesting to see (and shockingly) how little trying to conserve power in households can help with the issue of sustainability, and that it lies really within countries as a whole to change their policies on usage of resources. Also how new products that are released in order to try and 'help' with the issue of sustainability, when in actual fact- they are fairly pointless and in a way contributing to the problem as people will need to go out and buy a working product (that may not be made of sustainable material!)
3) The beauty of some of the buildings- even from an eco perspective design, they are very clever on the architecture. I particularly liked the water powered gondolas which are very clever to be run via water.
4) Understanding material usage and not overcomplicating design mainly. Cost is also an issue, production cost must be kept to a minimum (it may be cheaper to use less sustainable material than full on sustainable material)
Keeping things simple is a good idea if you can achieve it Matt.. In general, anything you decide upon eventually then you'll need to be able to defend/explain in a crit scenario or LT etc.. Some good points here - good.
DeleteKirsty Fowler (Tuesday Group)
ReplyDelete1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module? If 'yes' then please give an idea where you'd heard about them.
Not heard about Cat before.
2. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site. For example it could be methods of reducing CO2 discussed, the varying views of the 'future' given the issues of oil and climate change or maybe the idea of 'real worth' with materials and artifacts (i.e. remember Jo explaining that one torch would appear to be the most sustainable but in practise another was simpler and more effective).
The main points gathered on the day. was that they tried to use as many sustainable resources but it wasn't always possible. The reducing CO2 was interesting as well. It was also interesting to see what materials were sustainable that they used as I have been looking into sustainable architecture as part of my research.
3. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked-up while at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, their self sufficiency with solar etc and/or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 etc).
One of the things I picked up was it was amazing to see how much power it took to light a bulb. This was surprising to me. The mud wall was really interesting as well, as was some other sustainable architecture that they used. As well as that, learning about how little we can actually do in our homes was interesting to me. Especially with recycling as it doesn't help as much as we are told it does.
4. Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?
I will look further into packaging and design, however I don't know how much from the day I can bring into sustainable bottle/packaging design other than making sure the design stays simple. I will have to research this further and see what could be taken from this visit and put into my design.
Tuesday group :)
ReplyDeleteBefore visiting CAT I had not heard of it before. I thought that the 3 most notable points about the CAT lecture were its helpful links to great eco books, the simplicity of Anita Sancha's videos explaining what is happening to our planet and how we can change it and making us aware of advertisements that claim they are eco but show something else; like Patagonia and Howies.
I felt that the three most notable points about CAT itself were its innovative sustainable design. Examples of this include a chair back made from pennies which was in the entrance of the gift shop. Secondly the cork building which would insulate a building very well. Last of all the ability to grow a range of plants that can be used in cooking and keeping the environment healthy such as brussel sprouts.
Ideas that I may bring forward are looking into the books and information available about the eco centre. I feel this would help with research and maybe give me more to work with.
Howies is an interesting company Mair with their sustainable perspective - also appropriate to look into are others such as Ecover, Body Shop (refillables) Innocent smoothies etc..
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKeely Sheridan
ReplyDeleteTuesday
1. I had not heard of CAT before this module.
2. I gathered from the talk by Jo that although recycling can only be positive - as, it stands, it is not making much of a difference in the long run. If we want to live fully sustainable lives, we must make bigger commitments and focus not only on what we are recycling from our groceries and smaller, menial things, but more so on our housing materials, our ways of central heating and our use of natural resources.
3. After the talk from Jo and exploring the grounds around CAT, I picked up on a few things about the centre. For example, the solar panels on the roof instead of using a central heating system with gas (these were facing South in order to use optimum sun power throughout the day). Jo had also mentioned that they use fibre glass, compressed wood and wool as insulation inside the walls of the building.
4. Since visiting CAT I have gained an inside look at how sustainable housing really works, and I feel the talk by Jo was greatly beneficial as it filled in the gaps and answered any questions I had.
Simba Zvobgo
ReplyDeleteCAT was a place I had never heard of before until this module, but this module has opened my way of thinking and my attitude to green design and a greener way of life, so I was kean to see what they had to say and offer.
Jo Gwillim made a lot of points and issue addressing, the changing climate that we live in, and the way we should readjust out lifestyles. The video he showed really highlighted the excat of the damage we have done, but as he stated FEAR is the not the right avenue to solve our world issues, and the video he play reflected this showing us ways to change and possible ways of living a fuilfed greener life.
Other point that was addressed was our slight ignorance towards our way of recycling, as at times we believe using the right reclying bin or using energy saving bulbs will save the earth, and though it would it no is no where near enough, a stronger change in our attuide.
We have being lucky enough to live the life we have and experience the extreme growth that we have had, and it selfish for us to deny developing countries such as india and china the right to have the same growth that we had.
The journey of a product doesn't need to end so fast, 99% of American brought goods end up in a landmine after 6 months, but he was challenging us to think what could be done from these goods, such as bags from umbrealla's etc...
The use of newspaper and compressed earth used inside the wall as a extra super insulation that saves such a dramatic amount of their energy and bills. The whole complex from the walls to the steals panels layer on the roof to retain as much heat as possible.
I want to explore materials more, understanding where I would source any matreials I would get it and would it will be the travel etc.. its costs to get here
Some really good points raised Simba - clear that the visit and CAT have added a new perspective for you.. Just a quick note though - I'm thinking it's 'Landfill' as opposed to 'Landmine' that you mean though..
DeleteAmanda (Tues)
ReplyDeleteThe main point I took from this lecture was the basic principle to 'buy less things instead of focusing on recycling' this links in with the fact that it takes more energy to recycle old objects into new things. He also stated that doing little things, such as turning the tv off and not on standby, don't make a difference (not sure I agree with this)and people need to start dramatically changing their ways. He suggested that trying to persuade people using 'fear' is not the way.
Before CAT I was not aware that recycled newspaper could be used for insulation along with cork. There was also an incredibly eco-friendly wall that was made out of compressed earth which could be applied to other buildings.
The thing I will bring forward into my ideas is that I will try to make my design have another use after it's initial use.
BILLY SAWYER (Tuesdays)
ReplyDelete1. I had not heard of CAT
2. One point that stands out is that we have always been told that 'every little helps', but in reality only big changes can make a big impact. The website 'GapMinderWorld' was interesting too, which showed the link between economies and CO2 emissions and contained data from a wide period of time. Looking at the process of building the WISE centre showed that a range of surprising materials make effective insulation and structural elements.
3. Initially, the water-powered transportation was interesting, as it was surprising that it could provide such a reliable service at a steep incline. The use of materials like wool and shredded newspaper made effective insulation, and although the building was constructed with sustainability at the forefront of their thinking they were also able to create an attractive house that didn't damage the aesthetics of the local environment.
4. Although the emphasis was mainly on architecture and not on product design, the idea of second-life is important for any new product. It also showed that products don't have to use the standard materials expected of them, but can break the mould and still be effective and reliable whilst providing more sustainability.
Good point Billy - the 'Gapminderworld' ref was excellent. I think there's a TED talk along those lines too..
DeleteHeather McGinty Tuesday group
ReplyDelete1 Never heard of them
2 The things i picked out about the fact that recycling plastic took 90% or the original power to create it to recycle. A feeling of recycling does very little in the long run and its more to do with transport of raw materials that contribute the most c02 and wasteful lifestyle of the majority of people. Highlights the fact that 'green' need to be even better then their wasteful counterparts to gain any attention, they usually need to give more for the same price so designing this way is a lot more difficult.
3. The algea filled tanks that could be placed around a city to soak up co2, one would soak up the amount a tree would in a year. Offshore plant farms could help cut down the local co2 in cities. Mud walls can be compacted and are as strong as their brick and cement counterparts, this means building materials dont have to be transported in and it is from a sustainable source.
4. I will take into consideration the materials i am using and look for locally produced materials and production so it does not need to be assembled in another country and shipped in.
Sophie Perry
ReplyDeleteTuesday's Group
Hadn't heard about CAT
We need to reduce the amount of products we use as recycling isn't good enough.
Things may be sustainable put they also need to be useful otherwise there is no point to them.
It also fascinated me as to how people used to imagine the future as being all technology and robots and hovercrafts whereas nowadays people don't see such a bright future but a bleak one.
I liked how they used gravity and water power in order to make the lifts up to the centre.
Also how warm water could be made using solar panels even on the cold day that we visited.
And how 1ltr of water could be saved every time we flushed the toilet just by putting something in the cistern.
Trying to use local resources in order to reduce co2 emissions from travelling.
Try to create packaging that can be used as something else in order to expand it's life.
Make sure that it still retains is functions whilst trying to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.
JESSICA DROSDZOWSKI
ReplyDeleteTuesday Group
ONE: No, I had never heard of CAT.
TWO: I was made aware of the other materials, alongside oil, which we are running out of. It is not often that we think about the depletion of elements which are used in a vast amount of products, but it is important that we find alternatives so that we can sustain the materials and make sure that we don't completely run out.
We learnt about the sustainable materials which were utilised to aid the construction of the WISE building - some were more surprising than others e.g. newspapers being used as isolation.
Another key point which I learnt from the presentation was about the messages which we are given in society about how to 'save' energy - doing things such as turning off light switches, which in reality and the grand scheme of things, does not make a lot of difference.
THREE: The water-powered cliff railway was a clever way to preserve energy and utilise water as a power source to move the railway up and down the hillside.
Their solar panels which were featured on some of the buildings at CAT made warm water even cold on days.
The use of compressed wool, newspapers and hemp lime were all sustainable and/or reusable materials that were part of the construction of the WISE building and a good insulation aid.
FOUR: The different array of materials has inspired me to explore my options further when it comes to this element. It is important to know where my materials have been sourced from and it would be more beneficial if the resources were locally found - especially considering that we can concentrating on Lea and Perrins WORCESTERSHIRE Sauce. It is also important that I do not overcomplicate my design as the more elements which are included will probably result in a waste of materials and will not be eco-friendly in terms of sustainability.
csilla
ReplyDeletetuesday group
1.
No,I haven't heard about it.
2.
I was surprised when I heard how little it helps if I do the 'old practice' (switching off the light, don't leave electrical things on 'stand by', etc...).
As for me, the most important point was to reduce the process of 'making things'. Manufacturing must be more simple, it should have less workflow, so they'll make less CO2.
Secondly, it was shocking to see the graph about the materials and the time when we will run out of them.
3.
The water-powered cliff was the most eye-catching solution for me. I also liked the use of sunlight in the whole building. The third-and maybe the most important- thing is their garden. They produce their own food - and I think in the close future this will be a e element of survival. :)
4.
CAT visit made me think about the usage of different kind of materials, it gave me good examples of sustainable materials. Moreover, I see now how important is to use local sources.
A. Peter (IOW)
ReplyDeleteB. Thursday
Reflective questions to answer:
1. I had not heard of CAT before this module!
2.
- The amount of energy we use in comparison to a country like Cuba, which seems to have got things on point and sorted themselves out to a sustainable level.
- The materials used for the development of the CAT site, interesting to see what was used and how it was used.
- Surprised at how little we can actually help by recycling and turning off lights / leaving things on standby.
3.
- The garden, they obviously grow their own produce and use that in the food they produce.
- The water powered lift, excellent idea and obviously completely renewable.
- I liked how all of the windows were specifically positioned to allow the rooms to receive optimum sunlight.
4.
- The use of materials that were involved in the building process, opened my eyes to what materials are available to use etc.
- Gave good examples of how materials can be used more than once and in a non conventional way.
- Local development of things seems to be a common trend so that is an important thing, but at the same time you could reuse old packaging, boxes from deliveries etc and such from the factory, to create new packaging for the products. Local development important, keep things close to home.
Chris
ReplyDeleteThursday
I hadn't heard of CAT before the module.
The most interesting topic I learned from the visit to CAT was the subject of products that seem to be environmentally friendly, can be recycled, use renewable resources ect infact are more harmful than other during production. You have to look at the whole production line of a material to find out whether it is in fact environmentally friendly.
The water powered railway was a new experience and the mechanics of how it works were intelligent. Using natural collection of water from the valleys to power it.
The use of solar panels and south facing windows to take advantage of the suns power and heat to keep the building warm and maximize the natural light.
The main thing i will be taking into consideration is the information about whether a material is the best solution based on the whole production of it.
Spencer Yates
ReplyDeleteThursday group
1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module? If 'yes' then please give an idea where you'd heard about them.
-No i hadn't heard about CAT before the module.
2. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site. For example it could be methods of reducing CO2 discussed, the varying views of the 'future' given the issues of oil and climate change or maybe the idea of 'real worth' with materials and artifacts (i.e. remember Jo explaining that one torch would appear to be the most sustainable but in practise another was simpler and more effective).
- When he used the gapminder website to show different countries impact on the environment and how long Britain has been having a negative effect and still today one of the worst countries.
- The amount of research that must have went into the project to discover that it was more environmentally friendly and have less cardon emissions to source wood for the frame work from over seas in Norway rather than somewhere close. This was because of the process more local wood would have to go through.
-The materials they used to make the buildings in general and the different forms of insulation for example ripped up newspaper for roof insulation.
3. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked-up while at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, their self sufficiency with solar etc and/or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 etc).
-Seeing how self efficient they are with renewable energy for example solar panels and seeing the wind turbines on top of the hills.
-How they had the building positioned facing south to allow maximum sun light in and also had huge windows to reduce the need for electricity.
-I liked the idea of the water powered lift completely renewable use of renewable energy.
4. Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?
-The fact that just because something seems eco-friendly and renewable, the process in making it could be damaging on the environment.
-Try to give designs a secondary use to delay it being recycled or binned.
Heather
ReplyDeleteThursday
1. No, I had not heard of CAT before this module.
2. After Jo Gwillims presentation I was surprised just how much of a problem people taking advantage of the environment especially when the question "how will people with 2030" was raised. small things such as materials we use to build houses with & living on your own can increase carbon footprint hugely.
3. I Found it really interesting just how much CAT were working towards being a lot more sustainable... the water power lift that took us into the building - was an amazing idea, i liked how there was solar paneling on the roof and various activities that we could try and test to help us understand how things work and more importantly how they could be more sustainable.
4. I think the most important thing i took away from going to the CAT was the fact to always look for an alternative... if you want to produce a material chances are there is a material that is more "green friendly", can be reused and will still serve the same purpose... when it comes to sustainable design, simple is best.
1. Nope, the module was the first time i had heard about CAT.
ReplyDelete2. - An interesting point that was raised, one that i hadn't thought about before, is the fact that it is unjustifiable for us, the UK, to ask a developing country to reduce their carbon emissions when we can produce up to 10 times as much. So we, and other first world countries, need to be the first to set the bar for emssion reductions.
- The second most intersting point, was that Cuba is the most eco friendly country in the world. Due to oil restrictions historically, so they have adapted their lifestyles to survive without it. Something that we all need to do.
- The thrid interesting point was that recycling is not enough, that just turning the switch off is not enough. That we need to fundamentally change our lifestyles in order to reduce comsumption. This is more important.
3. - I really liked the solar powered roof. It demonstrated really well that you can make a roof out of solar panels that really looks good, as well as producing a lot of power.
- I was interested in the main building, how it was built sustainably (as much as possible) and how it had been planned out specifically to effectivly achieve its goals. All of the strange materials that were used in the building were really interesting.
- I also liked the simple and easy to understand diagrams around the site, demonstrating simple improvements people can make, for instance facing houses south in order to gain the most benefits from the sunlight.
4. - The talk demonstrated how different materials, sometimes strange materials can have benefitial properties that can compete with synthetic materials. So i will make sure to look at unlikely places when researching materials.
- It highlighted how important considerations into energy consumption and chemical usage in maufacture and production of products are. So i will really look into the materials and production processes that could possibly be used in order to really limit the energy used and use as little harmful chemicals as possible.
- Local production and material sourcing is also important, i think if it is possible to source a material locally rather than internationally it is worth while environmentally.
A. Adam Southall
ReplyDeleteB. Thursday
1) I had heard of CAT from my A Level Geography course, but had never found out any more about it until the visit. It should definitely be promoted more because it's an important matter.
2) First of all, I think Jo was great; he really has a passion for sustainability and his enthusiasm was clear which helped make the talk interesting.
From the talk, i was surprised at how the simple things are often overlooked. It is important to consider not just the materials used in the actual products, but also how they have been produced and sourced. Lots of energy is used in transporting materials from manufacturers so locally sourced materials are always best to use.
Also, linking to transport (which was touched upon in the talk), stacking more products into crates will reduce the amount of trucks, which in turn reduces fuel and natural resources. I've found since the visit that reducing the weight of the products also reduce fuel consumption.
The Gapminder app online was also really good. It's important to see country's emissions levels and how they relate to each other; it could give insight into where may be the best places to source materials from based on their resources left and their pollution levels. Jo mentioned that it was more sustainable to source Wood for the CAT centre from abroad and transport it to the site than use locally sourced products that would have to be processed.
3) Like nearly everyone else has mentioned, the water powered gondolas (or whatever they were called) are very innovative. It shows that not all transport needs to be energy sapping and fuel based which could ultimately effect the future of the planet.
The materials that the CAT centre are made from were all well considered to create a centre that is the most sustainable could be. It's also important to remember that not everything can be sustainable; there needs to be a balance.
The mud wall was very impressive. I've seen it used in less developed countries or tribal areas to form huts, but i didn't know it could be so effective in forming walls on such a large scale.
4) I think the most important thing that the visit to CAT has brought out is that the simplest things can often be overlooked. The visit made me think about not just the material choices, but also what goes with it such as transport and sourcing.
Jo's expression that "it's better to buy less stuff rather than trying to make the stuff we do buy sustainable" also applies to the brief. If we re-use the bottles, then their is no need to purchase another bottle so it is more sustainable this way.
Nikolay Velikov
ReplyDeleteThursday Group
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
1. No, never heard of CAT.
2.
2.1 For me one of the most important things which Jo covered was the fact that people think that countries like India are high on the chain with C02 emissions but it actually isn't and smaller countries like China had huge C02 emission for the last several years.
2.2 Jo also mentioned a lot of few interesting ways in reducing C02 emissions which I thought were difficult to do, but actually aren't.
2.3 I also liked what he said about the materials.As some proven to be much more effective than other. And the interesting thing was that in small quantities I believe metal was more effective but in larger quantities it loses its values as you don't need just one unit of metal etc.
3.
3.1. At first when we arrived it felt different from Worcester. One of the interesting things for me was the lift. It is something that we use very often in each day, and here they powered it with nothing more than pure water. Simply amazing!
3.2. I also noticed at the different ways of power generating which they had at CAT. Solar power, Water power etc.
3.3.Also the idea about the building materials. Even as Jo explained they tried to make the building as Green as possible, but in truth it is not possible to make it 100% green. he said they used concrete to make the foundation in order to make the building stable. I thought in general is no matter how much people try there will still be some sort of pollution, of course it is going to be less, but pollution non the less.
4. I plan to look in different types of materials to make the design more sustainable.
Reflective questions to answer:
ReplyDeleteFrancesca Dixon
Thursday Session
1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module? If 'yes' then please give an idea where you'd heard about them.
No i had never heard of CAT before this module.
2. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site. For example it could be methods of reducing CO2 discussed, the varying views of the 'future' given the issues of oil and climate change or maybe the idea of 'real worth' with materials and artifacts (i.e. remember Jo explaining that one torch would appear to be the most sustainable but in practise another was simpler and more effective).
- That not only is Britain one of the main countries using all the CO2, we are also one of the countries that have been doing it for the longest, and how gap minder showed this, it was a very good useful link. Not only was it just oil I was made aware of the other materials, alongside oil, which we are running out of.
- The use of solar panels and south facing windows to take advantage of the suns power and heat to keep the building warm and maximize the natural light.
- How little effect we have on the CO2 emissions from recycling and turning all our appliances off standby.
3. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked-up while at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, their self sufficiency with solar etc and/or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 etc).
- The water powered railway lift and how they use the weight of the water to move the separate cabins up and down the railway hillside.
-How much the building cost to built over 6million pounds.
-The Materials used to make the building wool, newspapers and hemp lime were all sustainable and/or reusable materials.
4. Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?
- Different Materials used, and trying to use the material in which were the materials can be used after it main purpose so it has another after use.
- Making sure that it is the most Sustainable material with all the transport and cost etc not just CO2 in the product as it could have to come on a plane to get which makes more CO2. Which also means researching ways in which to find local resources.
A. Antonia Lyon
ReplyDeleteB. Thursday Session
1. I hadn't heard of the CAT before, I think this sort of a center should be promoted more its a informative and interesting place.
2. One of the most notable things from the lecture with Jo was the methods that some materials are made with generate a lot of CO2, which I previously hadn't really considered. Another point that I found quite shocking was the idea that conserving energy in the home doesn't really have an effect at all on the overall issue with sustainability. Also that it lies with the countries leaders to try to make bigger changes to the way things work. The final point that seemed to change my thoughts, was that really, what we should be doing to help would be to not buy as much, and nothing that isn't needed as it takes more energy to recycle.
3. The building itself I found really quite interesting,the materials that we got to look at in the workshop were fascinating to look at and to see used in the real world and working so well. The idea that the building is also not only made sustainably reducing CO2 but also working with renewable energy like solar, I thought was great. Also the way in which they had done it, had also meant that it could easily be replicated elsewhere. The building using the water gondolas to get people to the top of the steep cliff was also a great example of a sustainable solution, which was very innovative.
4. The visit made me reflect on the materials and processes behind them, and what I have started to do is research into how to make my designs work and be aesthetically pleasing, function and yet still be sustainable. It has also not only made me think about the materials, but also the use of the product after it is purchased to prolong its life and delay the need to go to recycling. It has been a very informative trip and made me consider my overall "designer footprint" instead of just using the first material that comes to mind and to look deeper, research more and become a more conscious designer generally speaking.
Jess Carroll
ReplyDeleteThursday Group
1. No I had not heard of CAT until this module.
2. I found the talk very useful and it was interesting to hear Jo's view on how sustainability was being advertised in the media, as by turning of lights, not leaving tv's on standby is having very little impact on the overall problem. The presentation showing the process of building the new centre at CAT was an eye opener and by highlighting the problems and obstacles they were faced with shows how much needs to be taken into consideration when you are designing a sustainable project. These are things we will need to consider in our brief. The point made showing how much longer the materials we use will last if we carry on at this rate was shocking and it shows how change needs to happen for the future.
3. The materials that were used in the building was helpful as we were able to handle the materials and see how they were used in the final outcome. This shows a new method of creating sustainable buildings. I think this is something that is hard to believe until you see a final successful outcome. Some of the ideas used at CAT were very simple but really effective, recycling and storing water for example. Using the large containers to collect the water. The water lift was also a really good experience.
4. I have learnt a lot about the different materials I could think about using, it has also made me realise how much needs to be taken into consideration when thinking about making a sustainable product.
Elisa
ReplyDeleteThursday's group
I have never heard of CAT before I came on this module and exploring it was an amazing experience!
One of the discussed points, which deserves attention and was particularly new and interesting for me, was the statistic regarding different materials and the CO2 emissions, released for their production and recycling. It implied an entire new point of view for which materials are greener than others and which should be avoided when designing sustainable packaging. Another important point that was mentioned was that we should “cut down on consumption rather than recycle everything we can reuse”. Finally, it was highlighted that for achieving “big” targets we should do “big things” (“Every big helps” – David MacKay). I was surprised to hear that recycling and switching off electric appliances are just some of the small actions we could do to reduce our carbon footprints.
The CAT provided us with a lot of information regarding each type of renewable technology. It was interesting to see how exactly everything works and what makes it more efficient.
The CAT visit was very inspirational for me and will definitely make a huge difference for my design considerations in future. I would reconsider the materials I use and would think more about reducing any carbon footprints from packaging design.
Thankyou people.
ReplyDeleteSome really interesting comments here, clear that the visit left an impression on you and that many of you can relate new ideas and thinking from CAT to your own solutions for the brief..
Stephen Hall
ReplyDeleteThursday afternoon group.
1. I had heard about CAT before, I remember reading about it in an architectural magazine, they were talking to the designers about their use of natural materials in the construction process.
2. a) The thing that got m the most was the change in people's perceptions of the future, ranging from ideas that we'll live on the moon, with glamourous building and fashions, to the visual representation in Blade Runner; the grubby atmosphere and dystopian feel.
b) I found the interactive graph really interesting, to see the amount of energy that we in the UK use in comparison to other countries, and how that has risen dramatically over time.
c) It really surprised me to see that all these Government official posters that tell us to switch off lights when we're not using them will save us SO MUCH ENERGY, but in fact it really doesn't do a lot of difference.
It is quite strange, I wouldn't say shocking, but it was odd to hear that from someone who is a specialist in the field.
3. a) Okay, the first, and most obvious thing was the water powered gondolas that took us from the car park to the entrence of the centre. They were just genius!
b) Secondly, I loved the pieces of wind turbine that they'd placed around the site. I personally love wind turbines, and to be able to stand next to pieces of one really puts their size into perspective!
c) Looking at all the ways that CAT produce their energy was absolutely fascinating! The fact they use other things like biomass to generate electricity is brilliant, because I've never actually seen it in use, I've only ever read about it.
I also loved looking at how much of their renewable energy sources contribute to their electricty consumption, and how much is still being produced by the National Grid (91% at the time).
4. It is really making me look deeper in material considerations, like the uses of metal (namely aluminium) and glass, which are materials I wanted to focus on at the start.