10 sustainable building materials you need to know

Many designers, builders and architects are solicited by the personal drive or by the clients themselves to support virtuously sustainable and innovative building materials, suitable for reducing the ecological footprint compared to traditional materials. These are green production processes, low CO₂ impact, which in many cases may even be biomaterial, such as insulation products with fungi or micro-organisms, recycled stone panels, so he went to biomattoni.

Ideal for alternative insulation, natural insulators, mantles and panels and recycled materials from previous demolitions.

The ten sustainable building materials

1. Mushroom-based insulation material – also called Ecovative, it is a material capable of validly replacing plastic foams, it is obtained from agricultural by-products, including mushrooms. The insulation grows and develops inside the walls, allowing the mycelium to become an airtight covering which dries up in less than a month and transforms into a perfectly insulated wall, thermally resistant, ecological al 100% , flame retardant and toxic free;
2. Sheep wool insulation – it is an eco-sustainable material, uses little energy for production, it is safe for the environment, it is non-toxic and has the ability to absorb pollutants, it is also fireproof and easily recyclable;
3. Recycled stone products – in this case the components for roofing and cladding are made from limestone scraps, plastic bottles and recycled materials of all kinds. Its life cycle lasts up to 50 years and can be fully recycled;
4. Bio-Bricks made with bacteria – an ecological brick can be created starting from the bacterial action by inserting the bacteria into the mix of aggregates, these components can come from recycled paths and the production process ensures that bricks with equal performance are obtained, often superior to traditional ones at lower costs.
5. Straw panels – composed at 99,4% from recycled materials, like straw and wood, they are ecological and obtain a constructive wall of insulating and modular load-bearing panels;
6. Eco-sustainable prefabricated modular components – these are prefabricated modular building blocks, ideal for creating bio-sustainable constructions in which it is considered appropriate to use the least possible amount of water and energy.
7. Cellulose fiber panels – are sustainable al 100%, fully recyclable, based on cellulose and other recycled materials, the use requires little water and little energy;
8. Mineral colors for walls – also for painting, the choice can only fall on a type of coloring with little impact from an ecological point of view. These are paints of natural origin, washable, free of substances toxic to living beings, hypoallergenic and permeable, preventing mold from damaging the walls. They are also able to absorb CO₂ for the benefit of the occupants;
9. Recycled structural panels – particularly suitable for particularly harsh climatic conditions, it is capable of absorbing CO₂ three times compared to traditional panels, it is made of environmentally friendly materials;
10. Reinforced wood panels – straw and concrete, these are load-bearing elements generally used for walls or roofs, they are rigid structures given by a resistant combination capable of being completely fireproof, waterproof, resistant to bacteria, to harmful molds. They are sound absorbing and highly versatile.

Scientific progress is constant and brings continuous innovations to the building sector as well: for this reason it is difficult to limit the materials to ten sustainable construction and it is probable that in the immediate future there will be interesting novelties to be exploited.