a natural special building and exhibition project

To bring the concept of sustainable building on a higher level a number of local Wageningen institutions and entrepreneurs, including the municipality, De Woningstichting - the foundation for social housing – and WageningenUR have taken the initiative to realize a number of experimental houses, which will be constructed as much as possible of renewable building products. Renowned architects in the sustainable building have designed the project.

The project is - in contrast to other preceding projects on sustainable or ecological building - not primarily focused on energy saving or recycling and reuse of building materials, but the emphasis will be on the use of renewable raw materials and reduction of primary resources (mineral and petrochemical products).

The required innovation and product development is combined with demonstration of sustainable technologies for the building sector, which will prove existing and innovative renewable materials as equivalent building products. 

The project investigates various renewable resources (vegetable and animal fibers, silica-ash, lignin, oils and fats, proteins, etc.) with potential utilization in building applications. This requires innovation in production processes at supplying companies for the building industry, but also detailed study of the suitability of products in the (Dutch) building practice.

The project aims to address influences of material use on health aspects and indoor microclimate regulation and to integrate the experience in the ‘science of building biology’.