LIMU AS A BUILDING MATERIAL:  AN EXPERIMENTAL CASE STUDY FOR POTENTIAL APPLICATION USE FOR SMALL-SCALE HOMELESS SHELTERING AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Tabaniag, Bryson Nagal

LIMU AS A BUILDING MATERIAL: AN EXPERIMENTAL CASE STUDY FOR POTENTIAL APPLICATION USE FOR SMALL-SCALE HOMELESS SHELTERING AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Files

Tabaniag_hawii_0085A_11946.pdf (32.69 MB)

Date

2023

Authors

Tabaniag, Bryson Nagal

Advisor

Kannishtikhan, Bundit B.K.

Department

Architecture

Abstract

Limu, or seaweed, has the potential to contribute to several aspects of sustainability in Hawaii and other coastal communities as a healthy material alternative for local resources and environmental sustainability. One of the challenges in Hawaii is the high reliance on imported building materials, which can result in environmental impacts from shipping, such as carbon emissions and increased costs. Utilizing limu as a local building material could reduce the need to import other materials from distant locations, thus decreasing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and reducing the reliance on external resources. Limu has historical use in Hawaii and other places as a natural, locally available material for building. As a renewable resource, limu has the potential to be a healthy alternative to synthetic or processed materials that may have environmental or health concerns associated with them, such as chemicals or pollutants. The harvest of limu is sustainable and renewable, causing no permanent damage to the ecosystem when done responsibly. It does not require land-based resources such as water, fertilizers, or pesticides for cultivation, which are associated with many traditional building materials. Limu can also play a role in ecological restoration efforts, such as providing habitat for marine life and supporting marine biodiversity. Utilizing limu as a building material could promote local resource utilization, providing economic and cultural benefits to the community. These benefits include traditional harvesting practices and knowledge, creating opportunities for local businesses, supporting cultural preservation, and fostering a sense of connection to the land and sea. Limu’s potential can be part of a circular economy model, where harvesting, processing, and utilizing building materials and eventually recycling or composting create a closed-loop system that minimizes waste and promotes sustainability in Hawai’i’s fragile ecosystem. Overall, using limu as a building material in Hawaii and other coastal communities can contribute to reduced shipping of building materials, provide a healthy material alternative from local resources, promote environmental sustainability, support local resource utilization, and foster local circular economy principles. However, further research, innovation, and collaboration among stakeholders are needed to fully explore and develop the potential of limu as a sustainable and culturally sensitive building material.

Keywords

Architecture, Aloha Aina Economy, Biocomposite, Limu, Regenerative

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/10125/107886

Extent

132 pages

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Collections

D.ARCH. - Architecture

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