Historical and Modern Use of Seaweed for Building

Seaweed has been used in constructing buildings since the the ancient Greeks, who used the material as wall insulation. They would fill wooden frames with seaweed and cover them with plaster or clay in order to keep their homes warm. Also Danish people would use seaweed in home construction, and 20 houses from the Viking era still stand on the island of Læsø, Denmark, today.

Seaweed is antibacterial, moisture-absorbing, nontoxic, resistant to fire, and it is now growing more rapidly because of increased levels of carbon dioxide. That means there’s never been a better time to embrace its potential. (You can see photos of the homes here.) Seaweed absorbs more carbon than construction produces for each home.

The Modern Seaweed House was completed in 2013 and uses a wood frame with seaweed insulation, similar to an ancient Greeks. Nets are stuffed with seaweed and then fixed to the facade and the roof of the building. This method absorbs water particles, deters fire, and maintains a consistent temperature.

You can read the original article at www.thecooldown.com

See related posts at naturalbuildingblog.com, naturalbuildingblog.com, naturalbuildingblog.com

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.