Raw Organic Materials

I think Construction Resources, a showroom that opened in London in the 1990s, changed how the industry thinks about sustainable construction. Other organisations such as ASBP and EcoMerchant offer similar services now.

A common issue in low carbon homes is that it often requires the use of materials, such as plastic or formaldehyde-based glues to insulate and seal the building. However, this reduces the air quality for occupants. Changing to organic materials gives designers the option to use these non-toxic materials and continue to build low carbon homes with better air quality.  The showroom exhibited a variety of these raw, organic construction materials, such as sheep’s wool, lime or hemp for insulation. Another benefit of the showroom was that you could physically take colleagues and clients to see the organic materials for themselves and demonstrate the benefits of using these resources.