6 Best Green Building Materials You Must Know

What’s at the heart of every building construction project? You guessed it right — materials!

Building construction activities with 11% holding are a major contributor to the global economy. The rapid development needs of the world have increased the number of infrastructure and construction projects. With such speedy growth and impact, it has become necessary to assess the AEC industry for its environmental impact.

It’s essential to map the carbon footprint, energy consumption, and construction of a building. Since materials form an integral part of building design that covers about 40%-50% of its construction cost, reducing the environmental impact through materials becomes crucial.

In this regard, sustainable building materials have emerged as a viable alternative solution to toxic building materials. The need for green building materials has been long-felt by architects and engineers, but it is only now that they are being considered for large-scale projects.

What Are Green Building Materials?

Sustainable building materials are nature-friendly materials built from renewable and/or recyclable resources. In most cases, these materials are available locally near the construction site and help save transportation costs. Eco-friendly building materials have a low environmental impact and, therefore, help in creating a sustainable building design.

Materials such as bamboo, cork, straw bales, hempcrete, and engineered wood are some examples of green building materials. In fact, prominent architects named Chitra Vishwanath, Eugene Pandala, and Yatin Pandya practice sustainable architecture as a norm and not as a mere choice. The idea of sustainable materials can also be replicated in the field of interior design through sustainable furniture and surface finishes.

Guide to Sustainable Building Design and Materials

Innovation is the key to nurturing a sustainable building design. With technological advancements, discovering new green building materials has become easier. Nowadays, architects and building material manufacturers are exploring creative ways to devise fusion materials to suit modern building needs. Here are some innovative sustainable materials you must look out for.

1. Wricks

Wricks is a sustainable alternative solution to clay bricks. The initiative is an attempt to reduce the pollution from brick kilns. This green building material is provided by Angirus, a brand that offers sustainable technology to produce bricks and paver blocks that are damp-proof and lightweight.

Compared to conventional bricks, Wricks are 30% lighter, 20% stronger, and 80% extra water-resistant. They can be made available in any shape and size, and their manufacturing requires only a day.

2. Agribio Panel

The idea of recycling building materials finds its application in Agribio panels. Produced by Strawcture Eco, the company attempts to create 100% biobased panels made from agro-residue.

These panels are made of more than 90% straw and a proprietary binding adhesive that is compressed at high temperatures. The resulting product includes three grades of panels ranging within a thickness of 8mm-35mm. The panels can be used to build sustainable furniture, mezzanine floors, doors, and even false ceilings.

3. High-Density Composite Polymer (HDCP) Tiles

Plastic waste is recycled and treated to produce HDCP tiles. They are strong, durable, and affordable green building materials. HDCP tiles are suitable for flooring in both indoor and outdoor areas. They can be used as pavement along the road or for jogging tracks in parks.

The materials are also weather-resistance, chip-resistant, antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, and acid-proof. The tiles are manufactured by Shayna EcoUnified, a brand that also produces HDCP panels called Eco-Sheets used for creating shelter homes and park benches.

4. Ricron Panels

Ricron panels are a green building material that arises from the need to recycle Multi Layered Packaging (MLP) waste. These panels are designed as an economical substitute for wood and MDF-based products. It is manufactured with the thought of minimizing energy consumption and waste generation.

The panel is formed by fusing MLP waste and regenerating aluminum. The manufacturing company Ricron proposes the material as an alternative for cement, GI Metal, coated roofing sheets, and many other industrial applications.

5. Agro-Based Particle Boards

Waste generated from cultivation activities is recycled into agro-based or bio-particle boards. These boards are useful for packaging and furniture applications. Besides, the material is produced by a brother duo under the label of Craste. It also helps in crop waste management and provides additional revenue to the farmers.

If you like to experiment with colorful furniture ideas, we suggest exploring how to use Pantone color 2022 in your home through furniture.

6. Barreto

Casa Barreto is an Indian brand for sustainable furniture that crafts customized furniture pieces. The primary building material here is wood, through which the company artistically balances the form and function of furniture.

The central idea of Casa Barreto’s furniture is woven around the rawness of nature. Its sustainable furniture is made from reclaimed wood and is beautifully designed to suit contemporary needs. It challenges the notion of furniture as disposable commodities and makes them a personalized design element.

Final Thoughts

The architecture and design industry is ever-evolving and speedingly claiming its space on land. While infrastructure developments are an undeniable necessity, it is important to keep innovating means through which nature and man can live in harmony.

Adopting green building materials is one such approach that will help serve the purpose of sustainable living in the long run. Many building material sourcing platforms such as Archmozzo are supporting the upsurge of sustainable materials and view it as an integral component of building design.

Sustainable materials are not just a trend; it is a movement that is here to create a stir and dominate the building construction domain.