Comparative study of bio-materials versus conventional materials in building construction methods; economical evaluation of different building materials

Abstract

The problem of desertification has become a threat for many regions in Egypt as a result of climate change and the improper use of natural resources which has had a negative impact on human life and food shortages, leading to an increase in the migration rate. Many proposals have been presented to solve the problem of desertification but have not succeeded. Therefore, it was necessary to refer to nature and find solutions from it. Nature has been always a source of inspiration for human being in different aspects of their life, also it has been a part of human architecture since the early architectural periods in the caves that he used to live in and using materials from the surrounding nature, but this is not only what architecture took from nature it also influenced the form, function, space and structure. The aim of this research is to understand the role that nature plays in architecture to achieve buildings integrated with the surrounding environment with economical cost. It makes architects pay attention to nature as a source of inspiration in different perspectives. The case study of this paper presents the application of bio-material as a building and construction material and compares it with traditional building materials through the present worth method including the initial cost, characteristics and life time period to apply bio-material on a selected case study.