ISOFIB, proud partner of the University of Montreal
Always looking for innovation in sustainable building, ISOFIB initiated a partnership with the University of Montreal's School of Architecture in 2018. Exploring the INTERFACES Laboratories.
Source: INTERFACES Laboratories Bianca Addesa Karl Lessard Isabelle Tarta, Prototype Bain de forêt, 2020
ISOFIB has innovation in its DNA: we contribute to building a healthier and ultimately stronger world through the valorization of material technologies derived from natural raw materials, including locally grown hemp and certified ecological wood.
This is why ISOFIB was immediately interested in the INTERFACES Laboratories approach: these experimentation and innovation laboratories allow students to explore innovative solutions related to wood construction and bio-based materials. ISOFIB is proud to contribute to this experimentation approach developed for the students of the Faculty of Planning of the Université de Montréal.
The INTERFACES Wood Construction Laboratories: exploring to learn more
Created in 2018, the INTERFACES Laboratories of the Fayolle-Magil Construction Chair, the School of Architecture and the Faculty of Planning of the Université de Montréal are training activities offered by professor-researchers at the School of Architecture, including Gonzalo Lizarralde, who is responsible for scientific monitoring, management and research, and Jean-Paul Boudreau, a research member of the chair in architecture, construction and sustainability.
The students who participate in these labs, who are studying architecture, project management, design or urban planning, work in a hybrid environment that combines theoretical learning (seminars, design charrette activities) and the world of practice (construction sites, factories, material distribution centers, etc.).
In each lab, students design and practice an innovative constructive solution, in the form of a full-scale prototype, incorporating wood and various other materials. "We are interested in the interfaces between several constructive systems, between materials and between various innovation ecosystems," explains Gonzalo Lizarralde, a full professor at the School of Architecture.
In this context, students are asked to think about issues such as "how to better connect the building to its environment by using local materials," "how to effectively integrate the structure with the façade," "what spaces should be created between the exterior and interior of a building," or "how to connect the user to the technical functioning of the building envelope.
The session concludes with an evaluation, outreach and post-project reflection activity to which stakeholders and the Chair's partners are invited.
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With INTERFACES Laboratories, ISOFIB contributes to Quebec research in sustainable building
As a partner of the INTERFACES laboratories, ISOFIB makes its biomaterials, such as hemp and lime, available to students and researchers. These materials were used, for example, in the Bain de forêt project, conducted by three students in 2020. By rethinking the ancestral method of self-construction of the corded wood wall, the students used hemp concrete as an alternative to concrete, which is particularly energy-consuming, as a filling mortar.
Source: INTERFACES Laboratories Bianca Addesa Karl Lessard Isabelle Tarta, Prototype Bain de forêt, 2020
Hemp, a healthy, renewable and reusable material emerging in Quebec, was combined with a natural lime mortar to obtain a hemp concrete. This composition is particularly interesting when used as a building envelope for its breathable properties.
Thus, with a project like Bain de forêt, ISOFIB contributes to the realization of applied research projects, to create a stimulating environment and to promote innovation in construction at the University of Montreal.
Source: INTERFACES Laboratories Bianca Addesa Karl Lessard Isabelle Tarta, Bain de forêt prototype, 2020
ISOFIB raises the profile of its activities with INTERFACES Laboratories, an international center of excellence
With the INTERFACES Laboratories, the vision of researchers at the Université de Montréal is to become an international center of excellence in wood construction and decarbonization. High energy performance, reduction of construction waste, productivity gains on building sites, reduction of the carbon footprint in the Quebec building sector... Principles that have guided ISOFIB's activities since its creation!
In addition to benefiting from the network of INTERFACES laboratories and their outreach activities, ISOFIB will be able to use this new knowledge in joint R&D projects. A great way to be on the cutting edge of sustainable construction and renovation in Quebec!
To learn more about ISOFIB, discover the company's mission, all our hemp and wood fiber insulation materials, as well as our waterproofing solutions.
And to get a quote, fill out the online form or call the ISOFIB team at (514) 553-7256.