Tiny House designers, builders and residents are often a fan of sustainable building and use biobased building materials where possible. Wood, renewable insulation materials and natural panel materials are almost standard, but there is more.
Construction biologist Halbe Vlietstra is a biobased building consultant at Oldenboom, a supplier of biobased building materials. Halbe tells us enthusiastically about biobased materials, which may be new to us. But first he gives an overview of the more well-known applications.
Well-known biobased materials
Wood is an age-old building material that is undergoing a new growth phase due to the focus on re-growth and sustainable materials. Halbe recognizes this development: ‘We notice that wood is becoming an increasingly valued building material, especially HSB (Wood Frame Construction) is increasing significantly, but the demand for CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) is also growing, sometimes in combination with HSB. The rise of Tiny Houses certainly has a positive influence on the use of wood. It shows the many possibilities of building with wood.’
Timber frame construction is widely used in Tiny Houses. Photo: Chiela van Meerwijk
In recent decades, other biobased materials have also acquired a permanent place among green builders. Halbe has good experience with many of these materials: ‘These are now widely accepted building materials that are used, for example, as insulation material. Think of hemp, flax, cellulose, sheep wool, cork, wood fibre, recycled textiles and straw.’
An application of sheep wool and Celit wood fiber insulation in a Tiny House. Photo: Marjolein Jonker
New biobased materials
A lot of research is still being done into new green building materials that we can grow without disrupting the food chain. A great plant, the Cattail, for example, is getting more and more attention. The air in the closed cells provides extra insulation. And bamboo, which is constructively strong, is increasingly found as an interior solution and in furniture.
Gramitherm insulation, roadside grass used in insulation boards. Photo: BZW Holland
Halbe is enthusiastic about the new possibilities: ‘Berm grass is also on the rise. This is clippings that are released during mowing and maintenance work along roads, nature reserves and waterways. As insulation in the roof, facade and floor it is a good ecological alternative to mineral wool. With its ecological footprint and comparable properties to those of wood fibre, cellulose and hemp, I think this new ecological material has a good chance of success.’
Mycelium is also gaining ground. Halbe explains: ‘The mycelium is the network of all the threads of a fungus. The threads are also called hyphae. Usually the mycelium is underground. Mycelium has been incorporated in the Biosintrum in Oosterwolde as acoustic insulation in the conference hall and that works fine.’
It is still a challenge for these newest biobased building materials to acquire a permanent place among green builders: ‘The biggest challenge for these materials is the marketing and application in construction. What can you do with it and how do you construct a roof or facade with these materials that complies with our building code.’
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