Sourcing the options, documenting how they are applied, supporting those who produce and install them. All the players in sustainable construction, brought together in one place.
Photo · Natura Mater
Many materials and construction systems can reduce a building's carbon footprint. But you still need to be able to compare them, document how they are applied on site, and analyse their actual performance and the carbon savings they make possible.
Since 2020, Natura Mater has been scanning the market for these options. Materials, construction systems, reuse supply chains, industrial processes: we observe what exists, meet those who produce it and analyse the data needed to measure its relevance. This ecosystem is the result of that work.
Major advances, sites as they progress, the sector's wins and regulatory monitoring. We document the milestones of sustainable construction as they happen.
Sector watchBelgium is more than readySector watchBelgium is more than readyBelgium is more than ready for the transition in construction, and it is not talked about enough.
Material focusRecycork · loose-fill corkMaterial focusRecycork · loose-fill corkGranules of recycled cork stoppers, laid as loose fill with no supporting structure: circular utopia or genuine technical advance?
Material focusExpanded cork as claddingMaterial focusExpanded cork as claddingAt a time when buildings still too often tend towards an accumulation of technical systems, some projects take the opposite approach.
ProjectsBeersel · biobased and comfortableProjectsBeersel · biobased and comfortableIn Beersel, this single-family house illustrates a coherent approach to sustainable construction, in which the choice of materials helps both to reduce environmental impact and to improve indoor comfort.
On siteCampus Odoo · deconstruction as a sourceOn siteCampus Odoo · deconstruction as a sourceIn Louvain-la-Neuve, the renovation of the Odoo campus looks first to the existing building for its materials: the steel, the bricks and the glazed partitions are dismantled to be reused in the project.
Field notesA method rooted in the MateratekField notesA method rooted in the MateratekNatura Mater teaches its Master Class in eight modules, from an overview of low-impact materials to the regulatory framework.
ProjectsSKULT · earth and linenProjectsSKULT · earth and linenIn Brussels, SKULT Studios brings a Pilates studio and a café together under one roof.
Supplier declarations, environmental and technical performance, installation and certifications. We compile and analyse the technical data to make it readable.
Cross-laminated spruce, glued box element. best wood SCHNEIDER · Eberhardzell.
Float glass with a high recycled glass content. AGC · Louvain-la-Neuve.
Paper mill sludge and recycled cardboard, resin-free. Honext · Barcelona.
Moso bamboo, strips compressed under high pressure. ootouch · Braine-l'Alleud.
Clay, dolomite and polymer binder, applied wet-on-wet. ClayLime · Brussels.
Recycled demolition aggregates and low-carbon binder, masonry block. Roosens Bétons · Familleureux.
No entry in this layer. See all materials.
From niche to norm.
Producers, contractors, architects and engineering consultancies. We bring together and support those committed to the building sector's transition.
No entries in this category. See all players.