Essex TV recently published a news story on how Clear Architects is the only practice in the country to have secured government funding for the development of sustainable construction materials. The practice recently attained £116k of funding from Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency, to create viable building materials from ‘throw-away’ products.
Green focus
Clear Architects applied for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to lead the development of a unique construction material made from consumer waste products that would ordinarily end up in landfill. As part of the KTP, the practice has entered a partnership with the University of Wolverhampton to explore the design and manufacture possibilities of SIPs (structural insulated panels).
Melanie Clear, Founder & Director of Clear Architects, says:
“This ambitious project with the University of Wolverhampton furthers our work on sustainable materials, an area the whole practice is extremely passionate about.
“Reducing landfill and finding a creative use for our consumer waste products is important for all industries. I believe we in the construction industry can and should be doing more to provide solutions that really ‘move the needle’ on building a sustainable future.
“It is especially gratifying to know that even a small practice such as Clear Architects can make a real contribution, applying both our design creativity and our commercial experience, in an attempt to be part of the solution for a more sustainable built environment. Personally, I am incredibly proud to be driving research into quantifiable product development in the construction sector.”
Previous commendations
Sustainability plays a vital role in Clear Architects’ ethos. The practice has previously been recognised for its work on sustainable material development by Grand Designs. It’s ground-breaking starter-home concept utilised shredded coffee cups for high-performance insulation. Clear also took part in a debate at Grand Designs Live, November 2018, for a design concept for pop-up, sustainable homeless shelters.