Further Research - Materials

 In this post, I will discuss which materials I am going to use for my building and why each is appropriate and beneficial for my project. 

As my brief indicated, my design is supposed to have sustainable materials and design. For this, I will research the most common and sustainable materials in the area and then select them according to my design and the necessities they would require. For starters, since the beginning of my project, I intended to use wood as it is the most sustainable option, and various houses in the area used this as the primary material in their structure.

In the Victorian area, multiple companies work with wood, like for example Warburton Wood Works that uses different types of wood for construction, but are more focused on the use of Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar and Douglas Fir. According to Timber (2023), each type of wood has its own unique properties that involve a factor of use, for example, cedar is more durable, and Douglas Fir can also be as durable, but with treatment. Which makes red cedar better in this term, another factor is the colour in terms of design to me they look the same, but because of durability and efficiency, red cedar is potentially the better option. Another important consideration is the glass used in the multiple windows all over the house; solar control glass can help with heat radiation by reflecting the radiation, direct transmission of the solar radiation on the glass in a proportional way and finally by absorbing the radiation displayed proportionally on the glass. The material used for the ceiling will be tiles made from clay, as they have very good thermal properties, reducing the need for energy heating and cooling systems. There is a company called TilesRoofsCanada that works with clay and concrete roofing as a sustainable solution. So that the material comes from a local source. For features like the doors and the window frames, I would suggest fibreglass frames as their expansion is similar to glass, which helps with the changes of temperature in the area, and they are very durable.

Red cedar 

Solar control glass

Clay tiles 

Fiber glass 

In other features, solar panels could be used for renewable energy as well as a thermal system to generate hot water, which helps with the emissions of carbon dioxide and provides a financial benefit. Another feature that could be used in the house, is geothermal heating and cooling systems the long term efficiency is according to baystar (2023) a cost efficient saving system, as it helps with the sustainability impacts as this system consumes at least 50% less energy than a normal system, an their durability with a good maintenance can last for various decades. Additionally, green walls are one of the most interesting features by reducing the temperature on the wall surface (Loh, 2008) and can reduce humidity and noise pollution as it reflect the sound. 

Solar panels 

Geothermal heating 

Green walls 

References 

SEO, M.R. (2022). House Types In Victoria BC: A Brief Overview - Brad Maclaren. [online] Brad Maclaren. Available at: https://bradmaclaren.com/house-types-in-victoria-bc-a-brief-overview/ [Accessed 2 May 2025]. Warburton Woodworks Ltd. (2021). Warburton Woodworks Ltd. Milling | Woodworking | Moulding | Kiln Drying. [online] Available at: https://www.warburtonwoodworks.ca/ [Accessed 20 May 2025].

Warburton Woodworks Ltd. (2021). Warburton Woodworks Ltd. Milling | Woodworking | Moulding | Kiln Drying. [online] Available at: https://www.warburtonwoodworks.ca/.

Timber, D. (2023). Western Red Cedar vs. Douglas Fir: Which Should You Choose? [online] Duffield Timber. Available at: https://duffieldtimber.com/the-workbench/buyers-guides/western-red-cedar-vs-douglas-fir.

www.pilkington.com. (n.d.). Solar Control Glass. [online] Available at: https://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk/products/product-categories/solar-control#.

Engineering, G. (2025). Renewable Heating Systems - Sustainable Home Heating Technologies, Manufacture & Supply Grant UK. [online] Grantuk.com. Available at: https://www.grantuk.com/products/renewables/ [Accessed  May 2025].

Baystar. (2024). Residential Geothermal Cost - Baystar. [online] Available at: https://baystar.co.uk/residential-geothermal-cost/ [Accessed May 2025].

Maxgreen.ca. (2017). MAXgreen Windows & Doors. [online] Available at: https://www.maxgreen.ca/blog-posts/what-is-the-best-window-frame-material-for-canadas-climate [Accessed May 2025].

Asla.org. (2019). Increasing Energy Efficiency: Residential Green Walls | asla.org. [online] Available at: https://www.asla.org/residentialgreenwalls.aspx.