Ground down shells are a sustainable alternative to concrete. Source: Dezeen

Construction pros and designers can make homes a little bit greener by using these six ingenious sustainable materials.

By Elisa Fernández-Arias

From bioconcrete which is more resistant to cracks and corrosion to plant-based rigid foam that can be used for insulation, sustainable materials are revolutionizing the building and design worlds. Below, the six that top our list of the most innovative … and inspiring.

Concrete that heals itself. Source: Institute of Making

Bioconcrete 

Concrete is a tried and true building material, but any industry professional pro knows that there’s a big problem with this popular building material: it will eventually crack. This can lead to a leak or, worse, the collapse of a structure in the case of steel corrosion. The solution? Bioconcrete. This alternative has bacteria that “heals” the cracks that appear in the concrete. Invented by Henk Jonkers, a professor at the University of Delft, this may be the start of a new era of biological buildings.

Ground down shells are a sustainable alternative to concrete. Source: Dezeen

Sea Stone

If you’re a designer who loves a nautical theme and sustainability, Newtab-22’s Sea Stone is for you. This beautiful and natural alternative to concrete is made from ground-down shells salvaged from the aquaculture and seafood industries – material that would otherwise go into landfills.  It also doesn’t hurt that dyes can be added to the mix, creating a colorful palette that can suit a variety of designs.

An example of Fully-Recyclable 3D Printing: The Eggshell Pavilion that can be disassembled, transported, and reassembled as needed. Source: Metropolis/ Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich

Fully-Recyclable 3D Printing

One of the problems with 3D printing is that it creates a lot of waste once the prefabricated concrete units have been made. Fortunately, Gramazio Kohler Research has come up with a solution: a very thin, 3D-printed mold for casting cement that can be recycled into future molds. These molds, or formworks, can be used to create different structures, potentially revolutionizing building processes so they are more sustainable. 

A colorful assortment of K-Briqs, ready for building. Source: CNN/ Zero Waste Scotland

K-Briq

We have been using clay-fired bricks in the built environment for more than 5,000 years and, while this traditional material has an irresistible charm, it also uses up finite, raw materials and creates carbon emissions. A replacement solution is K-Briq, made from over 90 percent construction waste. The brainchild of Gabriel Medero, professor of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, along with her fellow engineer, Sam Chapman, K-Briq also doesn’t require firing in a kiln to be made and uses 90 percent less energy in its production.  

Plant-based rigid foam makes for a green alternative to insulation in this construction-in-progress. Source: The Story Boxx

Plant-Based Rigid Foam

Used as insulation in buildings, polyurethane rigid foam has been an integral part of the construction world. An alternative material, however, is making waves: plant-based polyurethane rigid foam. It all began when a surfboard material manufacturer was fined by the EPA for using a toxic substance. This prompted the move toward a new surfboard material,  plant-based rigid foam that’s made from plants like kelp, hemp and bamboo. The more sustainable product transformed the surfboard material industry, and also began to be employed in manufacturing of furniture, turbine blades and, of course, insulation.

A worm’s eye view from the Hy-Fi building constructed out of mycelium bricks. Source: Certified Energy/ The Living

Mycelium Fungi

Even though mushrooms may not be the first thing to come to mind when you’re thinking about sustainable building materials, mycelium — a fungus’s vegetative structure — is actually pretty useful for construction. Mycelium is highly durable and resistant to fire, water and mold, and is also compostable and organic. When mycelium is combined with materials such as demolition waste, sawdust and timber, it can be molded into a brick for construction. Mycelium isn’t being used on a huge scale in construction, but it was used to build Hy-Fi, an organic brick structure in Queens, New York.