NATURAL MATERIALS
Thermally insulating eco-wood frame house with wood fibre plates and heat- isolating natural hemp material. Finishing the walls with a white wooden board.
Various ecological insulations: cork, sheep wool, wood fibre and coconut fibre.
DR TOM WOOLEY, RESEARCHER WITH RACHEL BEVAN ARCHITECTS, ASKS IF BIO-BASED BUILDING MATERIALS AND NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS ARE AN OPTION FOR MAINSTREAM CONSTRUCTION…
Consider the natural alternative
T here are many benefits and
pumps and heat recovery systems. While these should not be ruled out, it is important to start with the fabric of the
and thus less prone to mould and damp; they can ensure good indoor air quality and create an attractive natural feel to the house. At Rachel Bevan Architects, we are using timber, wood fibre, hemp fibre, hempcrete, sheep’s wool and many more materials which are widely available, and there are plenty of examples of their successful use. Despite the many benefits of natural, ecological materials, some people remain nervous about using them, preferring to stick with concrete and flammable petrochemical materials. Architects, builders, friends and relations and so on will tell them that they should stick to tried-and-tested solutions and that natural materials are too expensive and not reliable. Some excellent imported natural materials can be more expensive than they should be, as they are made
possibilities for using natural ecological materials in building
construction. Such materials are becoming increasingly available. However, many people are wary about using these alternative solutions when architects, builders and even official bodies tell them that it is better to use the standard synthetic and plastic materials that are currently mainstream. Many people want to live in a healthy, thermally efficient house but find the array of options available confusing.
building. If a house is well insulated you can save a lot of money on heating and this is far more effective than fancy alternative technology. This applies to building a new house or renovating an existing one. Natural materials can easily be part of the fabric of a building. The advantage of constructing and renovating buildings using natural materials is that they do not contain toxic chemicals and,
“We can keep the cost of houses and renovation schemes using ecological materials close to conventional products.”
Some assume that the place to start is to spend a lot of money on expensive technology such as solar panels, heat
in many cases, are more effective and easier to apply. Natural materials are usually vapour permeable (breathable)
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