master thesis

“Searching for alternatives to materials commonly used in contemporary field of construction”. Residential House on the Rospuda river in Chodźki village, Poland.

The increasing industrialization and the need for technological development has a significant impact on the process of degradation and depletion of natural resources of the planet Earth. This work carried out in the spirit of the idea of promoting respect for the environment, the existing space and landscape globally. Described ideas are the result of participation in the LLP Erasmus program and knowledge gained during this exchange at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, TUe.

The aim of this study was to illustrate the problem of environmental degradation in the context of the current production process model, as well as the Cradle to Cradle vision. An idea where the industrial production process can be described as a loop, and the materials are capable to repeat the cycle of existence. It finds an application in many industries and can be implemented especially in the field of construction and architecture.

The focal point of was an attempt to find a universal response in the form of a systemic solution whose application exceeds by far the demands of a concrete site or one particular context.

The first part is theoretical and dedicated to eco-friendly construction materials with special emphasis on “Cradle to Cradle” concept. The second one presents an architectural design of a contemporary house in accordance with the philosophy outlined in part one of the thesis. Work is based on the idea of a building as an object in the closed material cycle. Idea of a system leveraging various configurations of low-tech, natural materials with highly processed advanced ones, but with the high recycling or even upcycling potential.