Eco Material Trumps

A poster session is proposed. The poster presents The Eco Material Trumps card game which contains data on six key sustainability criteria, these are clearly defined for common construction materials, enabling participants to compare and contrast their sustainability credentials. There are also supplementary cards that support and enhance teaching and learning about the environmental impact of construction materials. The game is intended to be used as a teaching and learning resource within an educational setting. The aim is for the data on the cards to be used to stimulate debate around the environmental impact of construction materials. Research has shown that there is a disparate body of existing knowledge related to the subject matter which until now has not been collated into a single resource. The use of construction materials has a significant impact on the natural environment in terms of energy use, the burning of fossil fuels, CO2 emissions, the depletion of finite resources, air, water and ground pollution, biodiversity and the production of waste. During the design and construction phase CO2 emissions can be reduced by as much as 30% through the careful selection of materials. The value of games, used to support training and learning, has been widely recognised for many years (Coleman, 1971). Results show that the cards help students process and retain technical information and the use of innovative educational games can increase enthusiasm and reinforce previously presented didactic information (Odenweller et al 1998). Games create a challenging, constructively competitive atmosphere that facilitates interaction among learners in a friendly and fun environment (Lujan and Di Carlo 2005). Feedback from built environment students, academics and professionals alike has elicited positive comments about the workshop as a ‘fun’, ‘informative’, ‘engaging’ and ‘interesting’ experience.