TABLE OF CONTENTS In the last few years tremendous progress has been made improving the lifetime energy performance of buildings and the architects and engineers who have led the way are to be applauded for suggesting that many products can be used, recycled, and used again without losing any material quality -in cradle-to-cradle cycles (McDonough and Braungart, 2002). Fundamental changes are necessary to materials if we are to achieve real improvements in the value/impact ratio loosely referred to as 'sustainability'. The way forward will be utilizing new technical paradigms defined by innovative new materials such as TecEco tec and eco-cements and geopolymers.
Materials are the lasting substances that flow through the techno-process. They are the link between the geosphere-biosphere and techno-sphere and hence everything between and defining the take and waste. To reduce the impact of the techno-process that describes the flow of these materials from take to waste, it is fundamental that we think about the materials we use to construct our built environment and the molecules they are made of. With the right materials technology, because of its sheer size the built environment could reduce the take from the geosphere-biosphere and utilize many different wastes including carbon dioxide.
Materials used to construct the built environment should, as well as the required properties have low embodied energies, low lifetime energies, and low greenhouse gas emissions when considered on a whole of life cycle basis. They should also preferably be made from renewable resources and easily...
