Cradle to Cradle - Remaking the way we build

28. February 2020 Sustainable Construction
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Nature builds new products in a regenerative cycle. It produces new from old. When an animal or tree dies, the waste breaks down and serves as a nutrient for new processes. If we can model these infinite natural life cycles, they can give us a solution to the ever-increasing amount of waste we produce today. 

The construction sector is one of the major waste producers. While the negative impact can be reduced by recycling or the eco-balance concept, we decided to take things a step further. It is no longer enough to only reduce the damaging effects if we expect positive results. 

The building industry needs new sustainable solutions. It means using materials that can be fully recycled or materials that are abundant and can be returned as nutrients back to the soil. EcoCocon straw panels provide such a system that is also in accordance with the high efficiency demands of the Passivhaus standard. EcoCocon can be used in combination with other purely natural materials - untreated wood, hemp, reed, clay... High-quality solutions with these materials are possible with the added benefit of a healthy interior and a very high level of comfort. 

Our innovative technology is gaining international attention and was listed as one of the 10 finalists (out of 144 applicants) in the Cradle to Cradle Innovation Challenge in the USA. This is no surprise. Based on the EPD calculation, each m2 of wall sequesters approx. 97.6 kg of CO2 and saves an additional 10 kg CO2 on heating each year compared to a low energy building with a U-value of 0.25 W/m2K. The amount of energy used for production is minimal and the materials are abundant around the world. While we use wheat or oat straw in Europe, rice straw can be used in Asia. 

We are proud to manufacture such an innovative product. The building industry needs new solutions with natural materials – these have the potential to provide all we expect from a high-quality building: protection, safety, comfort and health. Technologies such as EcoCocon straw panels, innovative use of airtight layers, thermal bridge solutions and a community of dedicated architects and builders all contribute to a solution to our greatest challenges in the 21st century: climate change and the sustainable use of resources. 


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As an aid in the architectural design process, we are introducing a new tool for architects to incorporate EcoCocon wall elements in their projects. Using Autodesk Revit provides a simple, efficient way for designers to tap directly into predefined wall elements and streamline their design process. It can be downloaded for free on our site or via Ajour System's digital platform.

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