A Global Call for Scalable Biobased Construction Material Solutions
Built by Nature is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural global Prize to stimulate uptake of innovative biobased construction materials, with a €250,000 first prize awarded to Singapore-based company Widuz for its bamboo product solutions. Three Prize runners-up will also receive €50,000 each in funding; Built by Nature has also allocated an additional €100,000 for a support programme of mentoring and networking for all winners and selected finalists.
Prize winners
WIDUZ manufactures BVL™ structural products using bamboo fibres sourced from FSC-certified plantations and biobased adhesives for superior strength, durability, and environmental benefits, making it up to three times stronger and 20% lighter than typical engineered timber.
CASA CONGO is a bamboo-adobe programme in Nicaragua and Mexico, providing affordable, sustainable, and resilient housing for communities in emerging economies.
ELEMENTERRE, based in Senegal, uses clay and Typha to manufacture load-bearing bricks and insulating boards.
SUGARCRETE® from the UK, upcycles sugarcane waste into sturdy building elements, using mineral binders to achieve different degrees of structural strength.
Discover the winners and finalists
Submitted solutions 2024
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About the Prize
The Built by Nature Prize, the world’s first awards programme focused on biobased construction materials, is encouraged by the response to our first call for submissions, receiving 297 applications in total, representing a global distribution of submissions, with half coming from Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Materials featured included seaweed, mycelium, sheep’s wool, hemp, sugarcane and coconut waste, secondary timber, seashells, and invasive water weeds. Fifteen finalists performed highest against the Prize criteria, demonstrating: intended use in the built environment; proof that the product can be manufactured using current technology; that the product is already in the marketplace, and favourable approaches to carbon, nature and social impacts.
Meet the jury
