This research explores the carbon removal of a novel bio-insulation composite, here called MycoBamboo, based on the combination of bamboo particles and mycelium as binder. First, an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to define the carbon footprint of a European bamboo plantation and a bio-insulation composite, as well as its ability to remove CO₂ along its lifecycle at a laboratory scale. Secondly, the Global Worming Potential (GWP) was estimated through a dynamic LCA with selected end-of-life and technical replacement scenarios. Finally, a building wall application was analyzed to measure the carbon saving potential of the MycoBamboo when compared with alternative insulation materials applied as an exterior thermal insulation composite system. The results demonstrate that despite the negative GWP values of the biogenic CO₂, the final Net-GWP was positive. The technical replacement scenarios had an influence on the final Net-GWP values, and a longer storage period is preferred to more frequent insulation substitution. The type of energy source and the deactivation phase play important roles in the mitigation of climate change. Therefore, to make the MycoBamboo competitive as an insulation system at the industrial scale, it is fundamental to identify alternative low-energy deactivation modes and shift all energy-intensity activities during the production phase to renewable energy.

The climate crisis is urging us to act fast. Buildings are a key leverage point in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the embodied emissions related to their construction often remain the hidden challenge of any ambitious policy. Therefore, in this paper, we explored material GHG neutralization where herbaceous biobased insulation materials with negative net-global warming potentials (GWPs) were used to compensate for building elements that necessarily release GHGs. Different material diets, as well as different building typologies, were modeled to assess the consequences in terms of biobased insulation requirements to reach climate neutrality. Our results show that climate-neutral construction can be built with sufficient energy performance to fulfill current standards and with building component thicknesses within a range of 1.05–0.58 m when timber- and bamboo-based construction is chosen. Concrete-based ones require insulation sizes that are too large and heavy to be supported by the dimensioned structures or accepted by urban regulations. Moreover, a time horizon of 20 years is more appropriate for assessing the contribution of material shifts to biobased materials in the transition period before 2050. This paper demonstrates that this is technically feasible and that climate neutrality in the construction sector just depends on the future that we choose.

Despite the numerous advantages of using natural materials, such as fast-growing, living, and earthen materials, their widespread application in the construction industry remains limited. This research presents a perception survey, which investigates stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the market, regulatory barriers, and educational barriers, exploring experiences, motivations, and attitudes toward the adoption of natural materials in construction projects. The results capture variations in current practices and identify patterns for future directions, analyzed in a comparative manner to assess two geographical regions: Europe and North America. The results show that contractor availability, a lack of professional knowledge (mostly in Europe), and cost-to-value perceptions (mostly in the USA) are key barriers to adopting natural materials. The lack of awareness among construction professionals regarding technical aspects highlights the need for targeted training, while the lack of regulatory distinction between living and earth-based materials underscores the need for harmonized policies. By elucidating stakeholders’ perspectives and identifying key challenges, this research aims to inform policymaking, industry practices, and research initiatives aimed at promoting the use of a wider lexicon of construction materials. Ultimately, this study hopes to facilitate the development of strategies to overcome scalability challenges and accelerate the transition toward their implementation in mainstream projects.

This work brings together some recent research and results activities aiming at investigating the environmental benefits of using bio-based materials for the construction and refurbishment of residential buildings. The positive environmental effects of wood and other biogenic materials replacing other, more important, conventional ones, analysed through the application of Life Cycle Assessment methods, are here reported. Moreover, the investigated strategies for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are here discussed, to evaluate the potential of carbon uptake of fast-growing biogenic materials when used as insulation systems. The results show the effectiveness of bio-based materials in contributing to the mitigation strategies of the impacts due to climate change.

Nature provides a powerful blueprint for fabricating high-performance 3D-printed earthen materials and structures, such as termite mounds, wasp nests, and honeycomb worm reefs. However, mimicking the chemical and biological building blocks nature employs remains largely unexplored at scale. Here, we introduce a multiscale, bio-inspired approach that optimizes physicochemical interactions between biopolymers and earthen minerals at the microscale and systematically scales preferred interactions across spatial dimensions to fabricate macroscale, high-performance, 3D-printed earthen structures. By analyzing 90% of global subsoil minerals, we established a universally applicable multiscale optimization pathway, which converged on an alginate-based biopolymer-stabilizer that increases printing speeds by 33% and structural stability by 10° in architecturally relevant structures. This discovery accelerates the development of more efficient, resilient, and complex 3D-printed earthen structures, paving the way for sustainable, high-performance construction in the 21st century.