James McClister is managing editor for Professional Remodeler.
There is a tower in Queens, N.Y., albeit a temporary one, that was built using mushrooms as a base material. It’s the first of its kind but probably won’t be the last, if a new report from the design, engineering, and business consultancy Arup is any indication.
In its report, the London-based group identifies a dozen organic waste products that can be used for building, as well as how they can be used. We’ve profiled half of them here:
Material: Sugarcane
Applications: Internal use, floors, fiberboard, furniture
Where to get it: msonsgroup.tradeindia.com
Material: Rice
Applications: Cement, bricks, ceramic glaze, insulation
Where to get it: ecorglobal.com, watershedmaterials.com
Material: Hemp and flax
Applications: Insulation for walls, doors, and ceilings
Where to get it: hempmaterials.com, hempflax.com
Material: Cellulose
Applications: Internal use, wall panels, ceilings
Where to get it: ecorglobal.com
Material: Sunflower
Applications: Internal use, floors, ceilings, walls
Where to get it: kokoboard.com
Material: Pineapple
Applications: Internal use, cladding, furniture
Where to get it: ananas-anam.com
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