Cross-disciplinary Biosolutions Seminar Series: Novel biobased building materials

The seminar is open to all interested, including researchers, industry officials, and students.

Biosolutions is a multidisciplinary approach that seeks to solve complex problems and promote sustainable and efficient agriculture, industrial, food, and ingredient productions by leveraging biological processes or bio-based components. At the Green Solution Centre, we have established a collaboration across several disciplines where we focus on various scientific perspectives for biosolutions. In addition to natural science and technological perspectives, we will integrate legal, socio-economic, and humanistic perspectives in a series of seminars.

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to global CO2 emissions, accounting for 37% of the total, due to its heavy reliance on non-renewable resources like concrete, steel, and mineral wool. As the sector faces its environmental impact, the exploration of biobased building materials offers a promising pathway to sustainability. These materials, produced through natural processes such as photosynthesis, have the potential to capture and store atmospheric CO2, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint of construction.

However, the transition to biobased materials is not without its challenges. Technical advancements are necessary to improve the durability and performance of these materials, while architectural trends are pushing the boundaries, e.g., how innovative, fermented materials can be integrated into design. The use of modified wood and biobased composites is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional materials, offering new possibilities for sustainable construction. At the same time, there are critical considerations around the implementation of these materials, particularly in light of existing building regulations, which present both opportunities and obstacles.

This lunch seminar will explore these topics in-depth, offering insights into the latest research and industry perspectives on biogenic materials in construction. Attendees will gain an understanding of the barriers and opportunities that lie ahead as we move towards a future where biobased and recycled materials play a central role in building.

The seminar will conclude with an open debate, providing a platform for discussion and questions on the path forward for sustainable construction.

Register here.

Program:

11.00 – 11.15 Architectural trends and fermented new materials with Serafim Bakalis (Professor, Department of Food Science) and Phil Ayres (Professor, Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation)
11.15 – 11.30 Modified wood and biobased composites with Emil Engelund Thybring (Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management)
11.30 – 11.50  Sandwiches
11.50 – 12.05 The use of biogenic materials in construction with Stig Hessellund (Project Manager, Realdania)
12.05 – 12.20 Barriers and opportunities for the biobased and recycled building materials in the Building Regulations 2018 (BR18) with Mikael Hallstrøm Eriksen (Chief Consultant, NIRAS)
12.20 – 13.00 Debate

The Biosolutions planning group is:

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When you participate in this event, your time will be used as co-financing for the project Innovationkraft, which is funded by the Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen at a standard rate. Read more about the project.

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