Mountable and Demountable Construction Systems of Interior Building Partitions: Ecology and Sustainability in the Ephemeral Use of Space

Abstract

This chapter presents the ongoing research on sustainable movable interior walls as an alternative to masonry or plasterboard.

Emphasis was given on assembly’s simplicity, to guarantee an easy execution by anyone without specific preparation or knowledge in construction (as a common dweller, so he can respond quickly and effectively to the changing behaviour and needs of its household, but also to emergencies resulting from unforeseen circumstances, such as the current pandemic situation.

The research was grounded on the use of materials with a reduced ecological footprint (based on Portuguese forest resources) and on modular construction processes (adaptable to most pre-existing situations). Additionally, such materials should allow a successive assembly and disassembly, using the same construction elements, a feature in which we can truly defend a decreased environmental impact. The purpose is to minimize waste and to create a circular economic circuit that continues after its components’ lifespan, whose materials allow them to be recycled for other uses.

Methodologically, the existing partition systems, in terms of patenting but also market availability, were surveyed and analysed. Simultaneously, the consequences of the household’s behavioural changes in the domestic space, as well as those imposed by lockdown and remote work, were studied for our proposals to respond to the assessed needs more effectively, in terms of privacy, and thermal and noise isolation.

The collected information was used to create several proposals for interior partitions, exploring different construction and assembly processes, with variable degrees of complexity (later prototyped to measure its viability), to reply to the dweller’s different requirements in response to everyday life or exceptional circumstances.