Question

think a local material that can be found in your locality. What art could you possibly create out of that local material? Discuss on why you should choose local materials over imported materials when creating arts?​

Answer 1

Answer:

An adobe house under construction in a Lakota Sioux community in South Dakota, with assistance from the Yestermorrow Design-Build School. Material for these adobe blocks came from the earth that was moved to make the driveway.

Photo courtesy Yestermorrow

Using materials from local or regional sources is high on the list of many green designers and builders. Several high-profile projects, such as the new laboratory designed for Montana State University, have made it a priority to source materials from within a limited radius of the site, and many small-scale owner-builders do likewise.

Using local materials has the obvious benefit of reducing the significant environmental impacts of transporting materials long distances. In the eyes of many, it has some less tangible benefits as well, such as encouraging vernacular building styles, supporting the local economy, and connecting users directly with the impacts of their choices.

There are also some trade-offs that can come with the decision to use local materials, however. Large, centralized plants may make more efficient use of raw materials; they may have more sophisticated pollution controls; and they are more likely to generate by-products in sufficient quantity to justify investment in symbiotic industries that can utilize them. Companies that prefabricate components—or entire buildings—often argue that they generate less waste material than contractors who cut and assemble everything on site. Finally, the material’s performance over its useful life in a building is important, especially with components of the building shell, which can affect energy use for the life of the building. To determine whether a local material really is the best choice for a specific application, we need to consider these trade-offs. This article provides some fodder for that process.