Usage of Arundo Donax L. as a sustainable material in interior design and architecture

Abstract

Using renewable resources has become a considerable solution for most problems in Egypt nowadays. It plays a role in issues such as energy crises, scarcity of natural resources and climate change. This paper focuses on sustainable transformation by using traditional perennial plants, such as bamboo, Arundo Donax and others, as renewable resources in wood manufacture. Egypt is in critical need of alternative raw materials. Thus, this paper focuses on studying the usage of neglected yet affordable materials, such as Arundo Donax L., in buildings and digital fabrication. Arundo Donax has been cultivated throughout southern Europe, Asia, northern Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years. This paper aims to discuss the use of Arundo Donax, both in its original state and after fabrication, in the context of interior design and architecture.