Advancements in basic building materials are helping construction companies address the housing affordability and climate crises.
Four panelists discussed their unique approaches with wood, plastics, 3-D printing, and more during a session at the Blueprint conference this week in Las Vegas.
Josh Dorfman, CEO & Co-Founder, Plantd, said, “Everyone says they want to solve for climate change, and yet everyone keeps doing the same thing they’ve been doing. They don’t change. We’ve gone out and created a building material that is carbon negative.”
Plantd, founded in 2021, builds in a factory that locks away carbon in the production of a new durable building material made from grass instead of trees. These materials require just grass and resin, Dorfman said.
Joshua Henry, CEO, President & Co-Founder, TimberHP, produces TimberFill, a product comprising loose-fill insulation for attics, wall cavities, floors, and ceilings.
This wood-fiber insulation is a renewable, high-performing, sustainable building product that reduces greenhouse gas emissions through its ability to store carbon and reduce energy loss in the built environment.
Henry said this type of insulation has been perfected in Europe for over 20 years.
TimberHP compresses pure softwood chips–leftover from sustainably harvested, FSC-certified Maine timber with PMDI and Paraffin to create renewable, fire-resistant insulation board with a stable R-value per inch.
Its TimberBoard is rigid board insulation that protects homes with strong, sustainable wall insulation, floor insulation, roofing insulation, and continuous exterior insulation that protects it from harsh weather.
Gene Eidelman, Co-Founder, Azure Printed Homes, said his product goes beyond incremental progress. It constructs prefabricated backyard studios and offices, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and homes 70% faster and 20% to 30% less cost than existing construction methods through the progress made in 3D printing technology with the power of recycled plastic polymers.
The backyard studios are 120 square feet and the ADUs range from 180 square feet to 900 square feet.
Eidelman said Azure uses about 2 million pounds of recycled plastic a year.