Biogenic Costruction: Materials Architecture Tectonics

The building sector carries the responsibility for approx. 40% of the total CO2 emissions globally and construction is equally a major consumer of natural resources. Increased use of fast-growing biogenic materials is estimated to have a positive effect on the climate and environmental footprint of the construction industry, as they do not harm nature or the environment, and they are almost CO2-neutral.
The book presents full-scale studies of how to build, based on ‘absolutely sustainable’ principles by using biogenic materials such as straw, wood, clay, and thatch. Fire hazard is a focus-area when building with biogenic materials. Thus, we have chosen to test vertically thatched surfaces treated with mineral aggregates as fire retardant. Clay proves to have highly effective fire-retardant properties. Based on the results created, several thatched wall constructions treated with clay, have been developed to demonstrate a new ‘biogenic building practice’. This forms a backdrop for continued development of an ‘absolutely sustainable’ architecture by using environmentally and climate-friendly materials. The book presents a rich selection of images, drawings, and analyses.