let's grow reed on land we will lose to rising sea levels, and use it to make carbon negative building products
land
+
reed
=
land + reed =
carbon capture
new wildlife habitats
less flooding
healthier buildings
circular economy
net-zero construction
fewer chemicals
save our planet
Within 10 years we will see rising sea levels cause large portions of land to be flooded regularly by the tide.
These rising sea levels are the result of ice caps melting, in turn, caused by greenhouse gases that were emitted approximately 40 years ago.
The loss of so much land is to have huge implications for farming, people, and finances.
projected
sea-level
flooding by 2030
data sourced from
climatecentral.org
climatecentral.org
projected
sea-level
flooding by 2030
Within 10 years we will see rising sea levels cause large portions of land to be flooded regularly by the tide.
The loss of so much land is to have huge implications for farming, people, and finances. Surrendering land is the most viable solution we have, allowing flooding of some areas to protect others, such as homes. But it doesn’t have to be wasted land.
homes
The UK government estimates 7,000 homes are at risk to rising sea levels, but no compensation is yet available to those who need to move.
Plans to protect coastal homes are not certain, and some areas can only expect to be protected for a few more years before their homes will be lost to rising sea levels. Instead, land will need to be surrendered to divert water away from homes and villages.
farming
Farmland will be the biggest loss to rising sea levels. Existing farmland will be flooded regularly making it impossible to grow typical crops since these are not compatible with the high salt content of seawater. Thus reducing our arable land and increasing our reliance on importing food.
Whilst we can’t grow food, lets use this land to grow reed and develop new uses for this material.
cost
The cost to the nation in responding to these changes will be hugely expensive.
It is estimated that in order to actively combat rising sea levels would cost £1 billion per year.
This excludes the economic impact of the loss of homes, farmland, and livelihoods. Developing alternative uses for this ‘lost’ land will help to mitigate the social and financial costs
There is an answer;
reed
Reed is a particularly familiar sight across europe where it thrives in the damp ground conditions, such as the land adjacent to rivers and waterways, tolerating water up to 1 meter in-depth, as well as brackish water [low salt content water], typically found in estuaries where river and seawater meet.
Importantly, it is this ability to grow in salty water that makes reed such a valuable prospect.
Reed is one of the most abundant plant species on the planet, found naturally in 143 countries.
Reed has been farmed for hundreds of years to provide material for thatched roofs but declined rapidly when roof tiles became cheap and easy to transport.
Reed provides a perfect habitat for wildlife, including rare birds such as bitterns. The regular harvesting of the reed stops the encroach of scrub.
The root network of reed can span up to 1km2, making it very effective at stopping soil erosion.
The root network of reed can span up to 1km2, making it very effective at stopping soil erosion.
However, in the UK the proportion of reed harvested has dropped continually, with 80-90% of reed for thatching now imported.
And the number of thatched buildings has fallen from 1 million to about 50,000 today.
Clearly, there is an opportunity to fulfil this domestic demand, but why not go further…
benefits of
reed
insulating
Reed is an insulating material, with a performance of 0.09 W/mK, making it comparable to mineral wool insulation.
carbon absorbing
Reed is a carbon sequestering material, meaning that it captures and stores carbon from the atmosphere.
local
Reed is local, meaning fewer transport miles and less embodied carbon. In comparison, most typical building materials are transported across the continent by road.
cheap
Reed is cheap. Reed is easy to grow, and easy to process into products for use in construction. Once setup, economies of scale will make reed very affordable.
temperate
Reed absorbs moisture, helping it to temper internal environments, thus reducing the chances of mould.
natural
Reed is natural. It doesn't utilise any chemicals which could then be emitted into the air in your home which may cause respiratory problems.
quiet
Reed is a good sound absorber. Unlike many building materials, reed absorbs sound, making buildings more pleasant and peaceful to live in.
A recent use of reed is acoustic ceiling panels.
renewable
Reed is truly renewable. Harvested once a year, reed can be grown and grown again. No mining of materials required. At the end of it's life it can be composted and returned to the earth.
using
reed
proven
The typical method of using reed is very labour intensive. However, the use of prefabrication and machine processing of reed is already making it much faster and efficient to use.
manufactured
In germany, reed is already converted into various panel products which can be used in construction. Indeed, wirebound reed panels were first made in 1935 in Finland.
Courtesy of UEA Enterprise Centre
fast
Prefabricated panels have been used in the UK, for example on the UEA’s Enterprise Centre, one of the greenest buildings in the country at the time. The prefabricated panels enabled faster and more reliable construction, whilst not relying on clement weather.
Courtesy of Hiss Reet GmBh
versatile
Reed can be used throughout the envelope of a building, insulation in floors, walls, roofs. Cladding for exterior walls and roofs. Reed could also be used as a binder in earth and clay blocks, which are also gaining popularity.
using
reed
The UK government is seeking to transform construction with research initiatives to find ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ (MMC).
MMC seeks to find ways to produce safe, healthy, efficient buildings using the latest digital manufacturing techniques.
Further research and development is needed to create a set of reliable and performative reed products which deliver using a platform-based approach. However, similar panelised products are already available in Germany, so this method of manufacture and use is already proven.
Fire safety has also been tested and certification provided in Germany.
Converting reed into a range of panelised products would integrate perfectly with these new requirements for increased construction efficiency.
Doing so would also make reed a much more approachable material for existing construction firms, since the expertise has been absorbed into the product.
I propose two main products would initially provide the greatest uptake.
1. a 45° thatched panel for exterior cladding use.
2. a flat panel for interior/exterior insulating.
a
circular
material
The construction industry as a whole is one of the largest consumers of raw materials [400 million tons annually], the largest producers of waste [1/3 of all UK waste], and the largest emitter of CO2 emissions [40%] in the UK. But transitioning to a circular economy seeks to solve this
Existing construction is both wasteful during construction, but also at the end of life. Materials are typically un-recyclable, or composite so they cannot be separated into their constituent parts or used again.
Positively, reed is a great circular material. At the end of it’s life there are multiple options for the reuse or disposal of reed.
Cellulose Fibres (paper)
Reed is already a widely used source of fibres to make pulp for paper.
Bricks and Board
Chipped and shredded reed could be used as a binder in other products like clay bricks or reed granulate formed into board similar to OSB.
Energy
Reed could be burnt to generate electricity production. Making bio-fuels from reed is also being researched.
Compost
Reed can be composted. Since reed is just a natural material it can safely be returned to the ground. Even sending reed to landfill would be fine since it is natural and non-toxic.
By proactively addressing rising sea levels, we have an opportunity to improve our landscape and our buildings
simply by the application of reed
> so what happens next?
we need partners to help develop this
+ landowners
+ scientists
+ agroecologists
+ manufacturers
+ housebuilders
+ funding
email@reedrenewal.info
who am I?
Bertie Hipkin.
I have recently finished studying a masters in ‘Design for Manufacture’ (MArch) at the Bartlett School of Architecture within University College London.
I am a keen problem solver and hope to apply my skills to find answers to some of the issues we face, both big and small.
I am interested in a wide spectrum of things, and try to identify the knock-on effects of design decisions.
The ideas of using reed which I propose here were uncovered in the process of writing my masters thesis.
But felt the idea had great potential and deserved being taken further.