Applications and Contributions on Biomaterials for a Sustainable Architecture

Buildings use energy throughout their lives, and producing their materials adds another environmental cost. Engineered wood, mycelium-based composites, natural-fibre products, and bio-based insulation could help reduce both. Their thermal properties may limit heat transfer and support passive climate control; their renewable feedstocks may reduce resource use and embodied carbon. Before specifying them for a particular building project, designers need to know how they perform in construction and over time. Moisture exposure, fire resistance, durability, cost, supply, and building regulations all affect whether a product can be used.Comparing studies is difficult. Life-cycle results depend on how a material is made, how far it travels, how long it lasts, what happens at the end of its service life, and the climate in which it is used. A laboratory result alone cannot establish how a component will perform in a building. Researchers now draw on material science, building physics, life-cycle assessment, and bioclimatic design, yet studies that bring these fields together across climates and built projects remain scarce. Shared benchmarks and evidence from completed buildings would give architects a firmer basis for choosing materials.This Research Topic seeks studies that connect biomaterial properties with measured building performance and environmental impacts. Authors may examine thermal conductivity, embodied carbon, annual energy demand in kWh/m²/year, durability, and impacts across a material's life cycle. Studies of passive and active energy management are also welcome, as are assessments of how biomaterials work with existing construction systems and standards. Evidence from new buildings, retrofits, and adaptive reuse can show where proposed solutions are feasible, how they might be produced at scale, and whether they hold up in different climates.We welcome work at any relevant scale, from material development and building components to whole-building assessment. Contributions may cross disciplines or draw on practice, provided they address architecture, construction, or building energy performance. Uses unrelated to those fields are outside the scope of this Research Topic.Possible themes include:• Biomaterials for passive energy conservation and thermal insulation• Life-cycle assessment of embodied energy, carbon, and operational energy• Bioclimatic design with bio-based construction materials• Durability, moisture management, fire safety, and long-term performance• Testing protocols and comparable benchmarks for material properties• Biomaterials in low-energy, net-zero, and climate-resilient buildings• Retrofits and adaptive reuse using biomaterials• Integration with building services and existing construction systems• Prefabrication, supply chains, scalability, and industrial production• Reuse, recycling, and end-of-life strategies• Building codes, standards, and sustainability certification• Performance in different climates and geographical settings Topic editors: Carlos C. Duarte, Anna Stefańska, Nuno Dinis Cortiços Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/75550/applications-and-contributions-on-biomaterials-for-a-sustainable-architecture