Environmental aspects of use of aluminium for prefabricated lightweight houses: Dymaxion house case study

Abstract

The paper evaluates the environmental advantages and disadvantages of use of aluminium as building construction material for prefabrication of lightweight houses, by examining a case study of the Dymaxion House, designed by R. B. Fuller. The Dymaxion House was conceived as autonomous, transportable, lightweight, and disassembling unit. The predominant material in its envelope is aluminium. The production of this material has significant energy costs and environmental impact. However, aluminium is highly recyclable, long-lasting and has good performance characteristics, which, on the long run, diminishes the pressure on the natural resources and allows a significant reduction of quantity of used material. The paper re-evaluates its environmental impact on a larger time scale and takes into consideration all the aspects of its application. In addition, design strategies, (such as "design for disassembly") of the house are studied. Finally, paper provides some considerations about the "service industry" system, as conceived by R.B. Fuller (and also used nowadays in enterprises such as Interface Inc.), necessary for securing the house manufacturer's responsibility over the entire life cycle of the dwelling, thus guaranteeing high recycling rates.