Can Urine be Used to Make Eco-Friendly Bio-concrete?

Scientists in Germany have successfully turned urine into bio-concrete, as part of a project aiming to revolutionize sustainable construction by creating building materials from waste. The Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design at the University of Stuttgart, utilized microbial biomineralization, a biotechnological process where bacteria convert urea found in urine into calcium carbonate crystals. … Read more

Natural Building Engineer, Anthony Dente, Talks About His Work

Anthony Dente is a licensed engineer and principal at Verdant Structural Engineers and Verdant Building Products and is the vice president of the Cob Research Institute, where he is committed to appropriate material use for all structural building systems. Anthony graduated from the Architectural Engineering program at Penn State University and moved to Berkeley, CA … Read more

A New Carbon Negative Building Material Inspired by Coral Reefs

A new method inspired by coral reefs can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into durable, fire-resistant building materials, offering a promising solution for carbon-negative construction. The approach, developed by University of Southern California researchers draws inspiration from the coral reefs’ natural ability to create robust structures by sequestering carbon dioxide. “This … Read more

Green Walls Combat Heat and Boost Biodiversity

An international team of researchers has systematically compared green walls, bare walls, and natural cliffs, and come to the conclusion that plant-covered facades help cool urban areas and provide habitats for plants, birds, insects and other organisms. The research was led by Utrecht University ecologist Katharina Hecht, and published in the journal Building and Environment. … Read more

Bio-Binders for Rammed Earth

Rammed earth construction has gained increasing interest in recent years owing to sustainability demands in the construction industry and the advancement of digital fabrication techniques. However, the domination of cement-stabilized material in this industry poses environmental concerns, In this study, bio-based aternatives to cement are investigated through evaluating xanthan gum and animal glue as bio-binders. … Read more

EPA Has Awarded $6.2 million to Promote Hempcrete

To encourage the use of more environmentally friendly building materials, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a nearly $6.2 million grant to the Nashville-based Hemp Building Institute. They work with entities that develop environmental product declarations and life cycle assessments for biogenic materials, such as those made from hemp, soy and straw bale, which … Read more