1. Seaweed
This natural material, found in abundance in many parts of the world, has extraordinary properties (practically non-flammable, non-rotting...).
In the form of light, flexible panels, they can be used as partitions, wall coverings and even furniture. Their natural texture and partial transparency allow us to play with light and shadow.
Initial tests of biological facades incorporating algae have demonstrated their effectiveness in regulating the interior temperature of buildings, filtering the air and providing a renewable source of bio-solar energy.
Algae are also used today in paint. Texture and hold are fully equivalent to other "chemical" paints.
2. Shellfish
Shells, especially oyster and mussel shells, are waste products from the food industry. Their reuse in the architectural sector not only reduces waste, but also creates lightweight, high-performance materials.
For example the Ostrea company, which has created an eco-material of the same name, similar to marble or terrazzo. Shells are recovered, transformed into flakes and then into slabs that can be used to create worktops, floor coverings or even furniture tops.
3. Mycelium
Mycelium refers to the filaments that make up the roots of fungi.
This astonishing material can be grown in any mold, in as little as a week. Its properties are fascinating: it insulates acoustically and thermally, is impact-resistant, lightweight, non-flammable, biodegradable and carbon-neutral.
What's more, this ecomaterial has a wide range of applications: insulating panels, partitions (e.g.: partitions made from mycelium and orange peel by Interesting Times Gang), furniture (e.g.: Mush-Lume lamp by Danielle Trofe), outdoor structures (e.g.: Mushroom public furniture by AFJD).
4. Hemp
Hemp is an ancestral building material that has been making a comeback in recent years.
It's a renewable material that captures CO2 and can be grown without pesticides and with little irrigation, close to the building site, enabling short supply chains.
Its insulating performance is far superior to that of conventional materials. For example,hemp plaster is waterproof, watertight, does not crack and prevents dampness. It therefore has antiseptic, antifungal and antistatic properties.
Hemp can also be used to create furniture. German designer Werner Aisslinger, for example, blended 70% natural hemp fibers with a non-toxic resin to create a one-piece chair, the "Hemp Chair".
Thanks to the multiple possibilities they offer in architecture and design, ecomaterials represent a tangible creative and ecological response to the environmental challenges of our time. By increasingly using innovative materials such as seaweed, shellfish, mycelium and hemp, we are contributing to a future where respect for nature and technological progress coexist harmoniously.