Biobased Building

Urbanization is a significant cause of climate change, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. Nature-inclusive area development can counteract this, but it is still taking place on too small a scale to have a real impact. Over the past two years, MNEXT, in collaboration with other universities of applied sciences and stakeholders, has conducted research on principles to accelerate this transition. The main results have been neatly compiled in a whitepaper: Nature-Inclusive Principles.

The "MycEoLA" project originated from a question in the field: "What can we do with mycelium biocomposites after their use?" Over the next 2 years, this project is jointly conducted by the MNEXT Biobased Building professorship. It focuses on investigating end-of-life scenarios suitable for mycelium biocomposites, with the ultimate goal of achieving circularity and reducing waste.

Do you remember the Biobased Bridge? In 2017, it was constructed as a result of an ambitious grant project and installed at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Now, 6 years later, the bridge returns to Avans Den Bosch. Jasper Sluis, involved in the project, shares the journey of this sustainable bridge, which is not only a technical marvel but also continues to play a role in education and research.

Do you remember the Biobased Bridge? In 2017, it was constructed as a result of an ambitious grant project and installed at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Now, 6 years later, the bridge returns to Avans Den Bosch. Jasper Sluis, involved in the project, shares the journey of this sustainable bridge, which is not only a technical marvel but also continues to play a role in education and research.

Thousands of people, including none other than Queen Máxima, walked on the unique floor tiles made from recycled thermoset biocomposites during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Researcher Lennart Zoeter from the HZ research group Biobased Building at MNEXT created these special tiles for the OPZuid project BRIC. "It may sound simple, but recycling a thermoset composite is incredibly challenging."

Thousands of people, including none other than Queen Máxima, walked on the unique floor tiles made from recycled thermoset biocomposites during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Researcher Lennart Zoeter from the HZ research group Biobased Building at MNEXT created these special tiles for the OPZuid project BRIC. "It may sound simple, but recycling a thermoset composite is incredibly challenging."

Myron Koster, researcher & project leader of Biobased Building at MNEXT, is making significant strides in the materials and energy transition within the construction sector! Recently, he has published two studies focusing on cross-laminated-timber (CLT) sourced from Dutch resources and developing calculators to assess circular value.

In the “Building On Mycelium” project, the Biobased Building professorship of CoE BBE, together with partners, investigated how mycelium biocomposites can be used for the construction sector.

Practice-oriented research plays a role in the material and energy transition that should not be underestimated. This not only relates to the knowledge that is gained in research projects, but especially also to the place where that knowledge ends up; at the students. Every year, no fewer than 80 students participate in the most intensive form of CoE BBE, namely an internship. For 20 weeks, the students fully participate in a research project as a graduate or in an internship. Each and every one of them ambassadors in the aforementioned transition.

The first “Smart Circular Bridge” has been built. An old material is being rediscovered: flax has been with us for thousands of years in the form of clothing, sacks, and robust ship's ropes. Now the plant fibres are experiencing a renaissance and could become the building material of the future. Combined with a special bio-resin, it can be made into a light and highly stable material with properties comparable to aluminium or steel. The EU project "Smart Circular Bridge" shows what is possible with this innovative new material.

Building an appealing, sustainable holiday home using natural and recycled materials obtained from the island. That was the assignment that Nescio Midavaine and Martin van Overveld set themselves in 2018. After a lot of headaches and busy weekends in just over two years, and with the help of the Biobased Building lectorate of HZ University of Applied Sciences, the friends succeeded. The island house has now been traveling around the island for almost two years and is very popular among tourists.

In deze Biobased Update kan je onder andere meer Lezen over lerend netwerk biobouwers, studenten die bedrijven helpen en gezondere kleding!