reed renewal
concept
reed was a key part of the architecture and construction vernacular of the UK and many other countries for hundreds if not thousands of years, but with the advent of railways and cheap transportation, it fell out of favor and our consciousness. but could it be a useful crop to grow on landscapes disappearing to climate change
rising sea levels
in just 7 years from now, in 2030, it is predicted that the coastal areas in teal on the map will be flooded due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. these are vast swathes of land, and the loss of them will be felt. the UK does not have a strong strategy to deal with the issue like the Netherlands does, who will spend €1bn per year to protect their landscape in the face of rising sea levels.
surrender
the cheapest solution is to surrender areas of land, which in turn can protect other nearby land by absorbing tidal flood waters when they occur. but this land is hard to use economically, however, reed poses a solution. with a tolerance of salt water, reed is one of a handful of plants that could be grown and farmed on coastal flood areas
modern reed construction
bringing reed construction into the 21st century offers an opportunity to utilise a new supply of reed grown domestically. by panelising reed into a modular component, speed and reliability can be brought to this hertiage material, without the need for a new generation of on-site craftsmen to be trained.
natural benefits
and despite its perception of being an old out of date material, reed has a whole host of benefits which make it a very desirable material to use today in construction. non-toxic, carbon negative, sound absorbing, moisture balancing, insulating, recyclable. find out more at the dedicated website: reedrenewal.info
what can I help you with?
I love design and solving problems
+ industrial design
+ architectural design
+ circular design
+ material design
+ parametric design
+ design writing
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.
what can I help you with?
I love design and solving problems
+ industrial design
+ architectural design
+ circular design
+ material design
+ parametric design
+ design writing
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.
drop me a line
I love a creative challenge; a house, a hairbrush, a hand dryer, or anything in between.
I would love the chance to get involved with anything that requires some design, so drop me a line, and let’s see what happens.