Sustainable Building Materials

Choosing the right building materials can take a project from energy efficient to environmentally sustainable. Cement and concrete account for 8% of worldwide emissions; steel and iron add another 6-8%. These materials also release VOCs harming indoor and outdoor air quality. Three sustainable building materials to watch: low-carbon concrete, mass timber, and hemp.

Low-Carbon Concrete

Concrete is the number one source of embodied carbon in buildings. Approaches to reduce emissions include: sequestering carbon during cement creation, using low-temperature production processes, incorporating recycled fly ash or steel slag, and utilizing geopolymer cement mixes. All of these alternatives alter strength or durability, requiring careful project-by-project assessment.

Mass Timber

Mass timber refers to composite wood systems that combine multiple pieces of wood to increase tensile and compressive strength, enabling load-bearing walls and much taller wood structures. Benefits include a lower carbon footprint, biophilic design mental health benefits, improved acoustics, and earthquake resilience.

Hemp Blocks and Insulation

Hemp blocks made with limestone mixes can be carbon negative as hemp sequesters carbon over time. They are fireproof, VOC-free, and hemp has a 90-day lifecycle making it far more renewable than timber. Hemp insulation can be 10 times more insulating than traditional options, reducing energy costs over a building’s full lifecycle.

Contact The Dragon Group to discuss which sustainable building materials are right for your project.