Amsterdam (ots/PRNewswire) – Built by Nature is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural global award to promote the adoption of innovative bio-based building materials. The first prize, worth €250,000, goes to the Singapore-based company Widuz for its bamboo product solutions.
Widuz manufactures BVL™, a range of structural biocomposite products using bamboo fibers and bio-based adhesives that have greater strength, durability and environmental friendliness compared to traditional materials such as concrete and steel. Widuz’s patented processing ensures that BVL™ retains and reinforces the natural strength of bamboo, making the material up to three times stronger and 20% lighter than traditional engineered wood. Bamboo’s rapid growth cycle of around four years makes it more renewable than most types of wood, meeting the urgent need for sustainable materials. At the same time, it binds and stores carbon as it grows.
Widuz contributes to local socio-economic development by partnering with FSC-certified bamboo plantations and factories that use fair pay practices to ensure their supply chain adheres to high standards of social responsibility.
The three runners-up will also each receive €50,000 in funding:
- KuNa – the bamboo clay program in Nicaragua developed by Casa Congo provides affordable, sustainable and resilient housing for communities in emerging markets. With its modular scalability and technical simplicity, KuNa offers setups tailored to different housing needs, from emergency shelters to social housing.
- Based in Senegal, Elementerre uses clay and typha (also known as cattail) to make load-bearing bricks and insulation panels. Offering advantages in terms of carbon footprint and thermal performance compared to traditional materials such as concrete, Elementerre presents a promising solution to address the region’s housing shortage while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.
- Sugarcrete®, developed by University College London, is a material made from recycled sugarcane waste. With the help of mineral binders, the fibrous material is converted into robust components, achieving different strengths. Applications range from new buildings to retrofitting existing buildings. The material offers exceptional thermal, acoustic and fire-retardant properties.
Built by Nature has also provided an additional €100,000 towards a support program with mentoring and networking for all winners and selected finalists.
“When Built by Nature launched the award, we had no idea what to expect. However, we were delighted to receive almost 300 applications from around the world, half of which came from Africa, Asia and the Americas,” said Paul King, Managing Director of Built by Nature. “This award shows that we have more to learn and… “We need to share ideas and ideas to transform brilliant ideas and innovations into mainstream low-carbon building solutions – another step towards a built environment that works in harmony with nature.”
Submitted materials included algae, fungal lichens, sheep’s wool, hemp, sugar cane and coconut waste, secondary wood, shells and invasive aquatic weeds. Fifteen finalists best met the award criteria: presenting bio-based materials intended for use in the built environment; Evidence that the product can be successfully manufactured using current technology; Proof that the product is already on the market; and successful approaches to carbon, nature and social impacts.
Information about Built by Nature
Built by Nature is a network and nonprofit grant-making organization supported by the Laudes Foundation and the LTPP Foundation. Their goal is to accelerate change in timber construction and develop a vision for a built environment that is in harmony with nature. BbN supports innovators on their journey to decarbonize our built environment and protect nature. The Built by Nature Fund provides grants to projects that can increase the use of bio-based materials and sustainable wood and improve their climate impact to overcome the biggest obstacles. https://builtbn.org/
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