Shimroth J. Thomas1
1RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Correspondence: Shimroth J. Thomas, shimroth@gmail.com
Over the last few decades, the construction industry has depleted our natural resources and has become a large contributor to the landfill waste thereby speeding up the climate crisis. Finding nontoxic but replenishable solutions with low embodied energy are crucial for the building industry to allow the sustained growth while still preserving our dwindling resources. With the global population set to reach over 8 billion by 2050 another key factor to consider is land scarcity and the possibilities of embracing the blue economy.
PhycoForms is a biodegradable range of architectural materials derived from the residues of harvested brown seaweed and other waste resources. Harnessing the circular economy framework, extensive material prototyping and testing are carried out using sustainably harvested seaweed and other locally available waste materials to create a fire retardant and durable architectural product. This material exploration investigates the unique properties of alginate present in brown seaweed and how this can be applied to make more resilient and fire-retardant building materials. Lab tests related strength, fire resistance, sound absorption and water susceptibility will be carried out to examine the material properties as compared to existing building materials in the market.