When talk about sustainable product in construction and building, we always forget one of the highest versatility, natural and common material, clay. From harvest, process to cost, duration and outlook, clay is definitely an economic recyclable building material from centuries ago until now.
Clay Production
After excavated clay out of the ground, only adding water to the clay will able to shape clay into anything, commonly bricks. Clay as the raw material for building material is so nature and environmental friendly because clay itself is already a product from earth. We are utilizing earth’s creation to building construction on earth.
Energy Efficiency
Clay brick or other forms of clay-made building material can actually help to isolate heat outside of the building (or storing the heat energy into itself) and maintain cooling temperature leaking out. It is indirectly providing a saving in air conditioner bills, it takes now lesser energy to cool down the room besides energy used in complex energy-intensive production. In addition to good weather insulator, clay brick is also solid building material which is undoubtable.
Sustainable Building
Long lasting building as in clay comes from earth, lower maintenance costs and upkeep, reducing energy used to produce it also means we emit lesser carbon to the environment. They are able to cope with huge temperature variation, resistant to fire, weather and earthquake. It is also a high compatible material to the nature and human due its allergens-free, easy to clean and anti-pollutants.
Versatility
Clay is widely applied for wall brick, actually it can also being used to produce paver tiles, soil conditioners in agriculture industry, road infrastructure as well as sport court surfaces. Furthermore, architects or owners also choose clay to be applied in roof tiles, facing bricks or facades, gardens and any architectural needs. Wide colours, surfaces, shapes range make it aesthetic enough to meet architect and interior designer’s requirement. Some but not all, it can be varied from smooth, glazed, rough, wavy, elongated or curved.
Cost Effective
Why we say it is inexpensive to use clay as building material in Malaysia, because of its simplicity in harvesting the raw material, short process of end product manufacturing, wide possibilities of product designs to usage, extremely low maintenances are required, excellent electricity bill saver and temperature regulator due to its heat insulation feature. Moreover, its great and rapid installation involve fewer labour, equipment and time make it to be one of the awesome budget saving options.
Architectural clay building can be as aesthetic as those photo designs shared above, which you should always consider to use.
Photo credit: Laseralliance.com, pinterest, zi-online.info, lopochina.com
