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Extreme Recycling - Cardboard Buildings

Posted by michael on from the cut-along-the-dotted-line dept.

Xenographic writes: "Apparently, someone in the UK got the idea to build a school entirely out of cardboard and Westborough Primary School decided to implement it. The students are even recycling their trash to help construction!"

3 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Alternative building materials... by Troodon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...are nothing to sniff at, though given the state of some of our schools one has to wonder about the posible motives. Anyway for more info on a broad range of building techniques and other alternative stuff take a look at these guys: Centre for Alternative Technology. They have some rather impressive buildings made from a range of materials. Including a Straw bale theater and a new visitor center made from rammed earth columns.

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    troodon.net
  2. Re:BFD by Troodon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...What is CAT's next great innovation?...

    You're missing the point of the project, this bunch of hippies that missed out on the 60-70's set out to experiment with various forms of 'alternative' techonology, turning a former slate slag strewn hill into a proof of concept, educating the public that some iffy notion of being 'green' is far from unrealistic and pointless. Their inovation is education. Much of 'their' technology is stuff that has been imported from third world countries which lack the luxury of the wests disposable lifestyle.

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    troodon.net
  3. People are not learning from the past by Uzull · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In the 50's, France, under the pressure of the baby boom, build schools out of steel and... plaster and other supposed to be non inflammable, to be quickly available and cheap. The so called "Lycées Pailleron". As the building got older, some of the materials degraded and became toxic and inflammable. In 1971, one of the school caught fire. The fire spread so fast that the children had no chances excaping. There were ~100 dead. During the 80's it happened a second time, and some less dangerous accident later, the french goverment decided to destroy the old schools and to build the school in concrete.

    Such schools might be cheap building, but in the long run they have heavy maintenance... And might also become dangerous if not permanently monitored.

    Make your choice !