UK rules on building with timber are a "policy car crash" says Andrew Waugh
Rules restricting the use of wood in UK buildings are hampering the switch to low-carbon building methods, according to timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh. More
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Design
Design
Luis Undritz designs printer that creates "living" images from algae
Industrial designer Luis Undritz has created a printer that produces images by projecting light onto algae and is on show as part of the Materialized exhibition at Milan design week. More
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Ten impressive bamboo buildings that demonstrate the material's versatility
From a modular housing prototype to a disaster-proof yoga studio, we've rounded up 10 bamboo architectures from Dezeen's archive that use the ancient construction material in new and unusual ways. More
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Lemoal Lemoal completes first public building in France to be made from hempcrete
Paris studio Lemoal Lemoal has used hempcrete blocks to build the Pierre Chevet sports centre in France, which the studio believes is the country's first public building built from the biomaterial. More
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Barrault Pressacco uses hempcrete to create social housing in Paris
Architecture firm Barrault Pressacco used biomaterials including wood and hempcrete to construct this mixed-use building that references traditional Parisian apartment blocks. More
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Scientists developing bio-based carbon fibres being "showered with requests" for sustainable version of the wonder material
Scientists are working on carbon fibres made from biomaterials instead of fossil fuels in an attempt to create a version that does not generate carbon emissions. More
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Ten tactile interiors that make use of natural biomaterials
In our latest lookbook, we take a look at 10 earthy interiors from the Dezeen archive that are fitted out with biomaterials such as cork, hemp and mycelium. More
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Drive to reduce embodied carbon in buildings makes biomaterials market a "really exciting space"
Concerns over carbon emissions caused by the construction process are fuelling a surge of interest in biobased materials according to Arup research and innovation leader Jan Wurm. More
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Salt panels made using "only sun and wind" used to clad interior of Frank Gehry's Arles tower
Natural materials produced from local salt, sunflowers and algae have been used on the interior of Frank Gehry's tower for Luma Foundation in Arles to lower its carbon footprint. More
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Use of hemp in architecture and design held back by "ridiculous" UK rules says farmer who built a house from cannabis
A film producer who established a hemp farm to "pull carbon out of the atmosphere" has attacked UK laws that are holding back production of the biomaterial. More
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Hemp "more effective than trees" at sequestering carbon says Cambridge researcher
Hemp can capture atmospheric carbon twice as effectively as forests while providing carbon-negative biomaterials for architects and designers, according to Cambridge University researcher Darshil Shah. More
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Mycelium is "part of the solution" to carbon-negative buildings
Mycelium could soon be used to insulate and fire-proof buildings while sequestering carbon, according to sustainability expert David Cheshire. More
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Serpentine Pavilion's use of biomaterials "more than compensates" for concrete emissions, says Aecom
The construction of this year's Serpentine Pavilion removed 31 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, according to a report by construction consultant AECOM. More
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Adidas unveils Stan Smith Mylo trainers made from mycelium leather
Adidas has revealed a mycelium leather version of its classic Stan Smith trainers, becoming the latest in a flurry of brands creating products from the sustainable leather alternative. More
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Stella McCartney creates clothes from mycelium leather to foster a "kinder fashion industry"
Fashion designer Stella McCartney has unveiled a two-piece outfit made using a leather alternative grown from mycelium, making her among the first luxury fashion designers to turn the biomaterial into wearable clothing. More
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Hermès creates mycelium version of its classic leather Victoria bag
French luxury house Hermès has partnered with biomaterials company MycoWorks to reimagine its Victoria shopper bag in a leather alternative grown from mycelium. More
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Morgan Ruben's pair of lamps are grown from mycelium or light up like glow-worms
Morgan Ruben drew on nature when growing his leaf-shaped Folium light from mycelium and designing his Luminosa lamp to reference the way bioluminescent worms attract prey. More
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Amen grows carbon-negative mycelium packaging to ship its candles
A range of candles by French brand Amen will be delivered in carbon-negative packaging made from mycelium and agricultural waste. More
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Scarlett Yang designs lab-grown dress from algae that can decompose in hours
Central Saint Martins graduate Scarlett Yang used algae extract and silk cocoon protein to create a glass-like dress that grows over time and can decompose in water within 24 hours. More
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Kengo Kuma combines bamboo with carbon fibre to create "material for the future"
Bamboo and carbon fibre can be used together to build earthquake-proof architecture, says Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose Bamboo Ring is installed at the V&A for London Design Festival. More
