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October 5, 2006
Current design, construction and manufacturing processes are based on a linear system, from production, to use, to waste; we build disposable buildings and products. We pump energy in, CO2 out. We pipe water in, sewage out. Construction consumes 40% of materials produced, and accounts for 40% of our waste stream. Of materials used to create products, 6% ends up as the product itself, and 94% ends up as waste material and 80% of all products produced end up in a landfill within 6 weeks. Additionally, the majority of environmental impacts are locked into design before the pencil touches the paper. These numbers strongly suggest opportunities within our current models of production and consumption. Closed loop design considers the effect (toxicity, GHG emissions and waste generation) and entire lifecycle of material, water and energy use from extraction or creation to re-use, recycling or biodegrading.
Fw. Sustainable Design, Closing the Loop is a national design competition developed by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council in collaboration with the design community. Because a building or community can only be as sustainable as its components, the competition focuses on elements and systems in the built environment. Competition entries can be the introduction of a new element or system to “fill the gap” of present technology, or the re-design of existing.
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