What is Organic

Building Material?
Organic Material

Organic materials are grown from seeds and absorb carbon dioxide
while they grow. After harvesting, they sequester this greenhouse
gas and do not release it into the atmosphere.

Organic materials such as wood, straw, bamboo, cellulose insulation,

natural paints and oils or waxes could be used instead to create low
energy buildings that are solid, safe and better for the environment.

Just like we now associate organic foods with healthier eating,

organic construction materials lead to a healthier building. With an
emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability, organic buildings
can lead the way.
Example of Organic Materials

• Rammed Earth
• Straw-Bale Construction
• Bamboo
• Wood
• Polyurethane
• Cork
• Concrete
• Reclaimed Lumber
Rammed Earth

Rammed earth walls (aka pise) are constructed by the

compacting (ramming) of moistened subsoil into place
between temporary formwork panels. When dried, the result
is a dense, hard monolithic wall.
 
A vernacular green building material as well as in more
recent 'Eco houses', rammed earth is an ancient form of
construction, usually associated with arid areas. There
remain plentiful examples of the form around the world –
evidence that rammed earth is a successful and durable way
of building. A few historical rammed earth buildings are to be
found in the UK.
Straw-Bale Construction

Straw bale construction uses baled straw from wheat,

oats, barley, rye, rice and others in walls covered by
earthen or lime stucco.

Straw bale are traditionally a waste product which

farmers do not till under the soil, but do sell as animal
bedding or landscape supply due to their durable nature.
In many areas of the country, it is also burned, causing
severe air quality problems. It is important to recognize
that straw is the dry plant material or stalk left in the
field after a plant has matured, been harvested for seed,
and is no longer alive.
Bamboo

Bamboo as a building material has high

compressive strength and low weight has been
one of the most used building material as
support for concrete, especially in those
locations where it is found in abundance.
Wood
Wood is an organic, hygroscopic and anisotropic
material. Its thermal, acoustic, electrical, mechanical,
aesthetic, working, etc. properties are very suitable to
use it is possible to build a comfortable house using only
wooden products. With other materials, it is almost
impossible. But wood has some disadvantages too.

For the long term durability of historical wooden

buildings, constructors and users who deal with this
subject have to know wood properties exactly.

"Wood is universally beautiful to man. It

is the most humanly intimate of all
materials." - Frank Lloyd Wright
Polyurethane
In building and construction, polyurethanes are used to
make high-performance products that are strong but
lightweight, perform well and are durable and versatile.
Polyurethane products also can help enhance the aesthetic
design of homes and buildings.

Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol chemical

compound with a type of chemical called disocyanates, which
are mixed to create different types of polyurethane
applications. Products such as furniture and carpeting that
contain polyurethane are fully “cured” before they are sold,
meaning that the chemical reaction that created the product is
complete. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
stated that completely cured polyurethane products are
considered to be “inert and non-toxic.”
Cork
Its qualities make it versatile, uniquely beautiful and energy
efficient for homes and businesses. Those same qualities and the
way it is harvested make it a highly sustainable building
material.

As a building material, cork is in high demand now. It is used

for flooring, rigid insulation, exterior finish, floor underlayment,
acoustic wall coverings and countertops. It has air pockets that
make it resilient for floors. There is a little give, so your feet, legs
and back are not stressed the way they are on concrete or tile.

Those air pockets also make cork good for insulating. Air
keeps heat and cold from moving between indoors and
outdoors. Rigid cork insulation has been used in Europe for
decades, but it is a recent introduction to North America. Its
acoustic qualities also come from the air pockets.
Concrete

The material consists in a reinforced concrete slab

with turf incorporated in a percentage ranging from
10% to 30% in order to obtain a more dispersed or a
denser pattern, uncompromising its mechanical
resistance. In section the concrete is interrupted by
parts of pre-compressed turf reaching both sides of a
30-50 mm slab, allowing the root system of plants to
connect to the ground.
Reclaimed Lumber

Reclaimed lumber is processed wood retrieved

from its original application for purposes of
subsequent use. Most reclaimed lumber comes from
timbers and decking rescued from old barns, factories
and warehouses, although some companies use wood
from less traditional structures such as boxcars, coal
mines and wine barrels. Reclaimed or antique lumber
is used primarily for decoration and home building, for
example for siding, architectural details,
cabinetry, furniture and flooring.
Use of Organic Material Before and Today
The construction industry today uses man-made materials like
concrete, steel, brick, aluminum and fiberglass in nearly 95% of all new
buildings. Organic building materials can breath, absorbing and giving
off moisture for a healthy indoor environment. An organic building
sustainability index has been created in order to help designers and
builders choose more appropriate materials. The index charts the
number of years before the total CO2 emissions of the building equals
the CO2 stored in the building's structure.
Use as Building Material

Straw Bale Grasscrete Rammed Earth

Hempcrete Bamboo Recycled Plastic

Wood Mycelium Ferrock

AshCrete Timbercrete
Knowledgeable Facts

1. Building to Last a Lifetime

2. Advanced Framing Techniques
3. Conserve Energy and Save Money
4. Have a Healthy, Comfortable Sustainable Home
5. Minimize Waste Through Sustainability
6. Buy Local Products
7. Building With Wood
8. Make the World a Better Place
9. Improved Resale Value
10. Many Styles in Sustainability
Architectural Influence
In today’s increasingly environmentally conscious world, Frank Lloyd
Wright’s influence on Organic Architecture stands tall (well, actually mostly
horizontally … and often sticking out of the side of a hill).

Predating modern building designs that use eco-friendly materials and

renewable, sustainable energy sources, there was a design philosophy of
creating structures that were in harmony with both humanity and the
environment. Organic Architecture is a belief that the natural life that exists in a
space should flow into, peacefully coexist with and benefit from whatever is
constructed there. Or as Wright himself simply put it,

“No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill.

Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together, each the happier for the
other.”

Two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s more organic creations — Taliesin

West and Fallingwater — continue to inspire today. Organic Architecture is a
belief that the natural life that exists in a space should flow into, peacefully
coexist with and benefit from whatever is constructed there.