Toward Nearly Zero-Waste Architecture: Innovation, Application, and Practice of Construction Methods Using Natural Materials

The goals of this study are to propose a method to minimize the waste of buildings’ exterior walls and to respond to practical technical reports on disaster resistance and reductions in resource extraction. This study’s scientific value is its testing of new nearly zero-waste materials and their construction methods for external walls. Four cases using a bamboo and pozzolana wall construction method between 2016 and 2021 in Southern Taiwan were examined. The results show that the materials can be decomposed on site to achieve the goal of nearly zero waste. Steel structures and exterior walls can provide toughness and breathability to resist earthquakes and hot and humid climates. Traditional construction techniques contain elements of technological change and can transcend outdated regulations. The exterior wall materials in this study can replace the local high-carbon-emitting mining industry and are a feasible way to actively respond to net-zero emissions.

This creative work has been published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) license which allows copying, and redistribution as well as adaptation of the original work provided appropriate credit is given to the original author and the conditions of the license are met.