Hempcrete, bamboo and cob: eco home building materials

Green building alternatives

Maira Acayaba / Vilela Florez

Sleek concrete homes might be all the rage right now but these days there's a whole host of eco-friendly options that are just as effective as traditional building materials. From rammed earth, to straw bale and even cork, who says sustainability and stunning architecture can't be a match made in heaven?

Building a home with hempcrete

Iso Hemp

Made by mixing the woody part of the hemp plant with lime, hempcrete boasts impressive airtightness and insulation for a cosy home all year round. What's more, these sustainable bricks absorb and release internal moisture vapour, preventing condensation and damp from taking hold. With costs comparable to those of conventional construction methods, hempcrete is high on our list of eco alternatives.

Hempcrete house, Haifa, Israel

Tav Group

Designed by architectural practice Tav Group, this hillside home in Israel was built using only natural, locally sourced building materials. With hempcrete walls coated in a thick layer of earth-based plaster, concrete didn't even get a look-in on this sustainable project.

Hempcrete house, Haifa, Israel

Tav Group

Rustic and pared-back, the property was created for environmental and social activists, and the architects say that this is the first that time that hempcrete has been used in Israel. In keeping with the area's traditional architecture, stone from a local quarry was carved on site to form the lower levels of the property, where an artist's studio is located.

Hempcrete house, Haifa, Israel

Tav Group

Inside, earthy tones and textures create a tranquil living space. Wood furnishings complement milky, neutral hues for an interior that echoes the home's rugged mountainous setting.

Hempcrete house, Haifa, Israel

Tav Group

Its hempcrete construction has made the home very thermally efficient, preventing the dwelling from overheating in the hot sun. Aided by design too, this inner courtyard allows a soft sea breeze to flow through the main living spaces.

Building a home with straw bale

Brett and Sue Coulstock / Flickr

Straw bales are the ultimate multitasker − providing structure, insulation and an ideal surface for plaster. You can either choose to build with full bales or opt for prefabricated timber and straw panels. This recycled material can last over 100 years with proper care and it's 100% biodegradable, too. While it might sound like a fire risk, studies have shown that homes built with compressed bales are no more flammable than conventional structures.

Straw bale house, Ontario, Canada

Office Ou

Fusing style with sustainability, this contemporary home in Ontario was built with prefabricated straw bale walls, measuring a toasty 40 centimetres thick. Dense insulation helps to minimise the property's energy usage, while carefully positioned windows ensure the structure is well ventilated.

Straw bale house, Ontario, Canada

Office Ou

The roof conceals an array of eco-friendly secrets, including a garden habitat for wildlife and 36 solar panels. Designed by architects Office Ou, the firm says it's the first electrically net-zero straw house in Hamilton, meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes.

Straw bale house, Ontario, Canada

Office Ou

Step inside and you'll find a minimalist family living space. The kitchen features sleek white units and transparent chairs, offset against warm and welcoming timber floors. Style certainly wasn't an afterthought in this carefully designed dwelling.

Straw bale house, Ontario, Canada

Office Ou

Throughout the interior, natural textures take centre stage against a thoroughly modern aesthetic. In the bathroom, grained marble softens angular lines. An abundance of daylight is channelled through the property via skylights, reducing the homeowner's reliance on electric lighting.

Building a home with rammed earth

Pommy.Anyani / Shutterstock

Put simply, a rammed earth home is made by compacting layers of subsoil earth inside a frame. Once set, the framework is removed to reveal freestanding, durable walls. As there's no manufacturing process involved, it's an incredibly eco-friendly construction option and the earth can simply be reused if you opt for a rebuild in the future. Cleverly, rammed earth walls are nature's central heating, absorbing warmth from the sun and slowly releasing it throughout the day.

Rammed earth home, Hanoi, Vietnam

Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Nestled in the Dong Anh District of Hanoi, this colourful home has a distinctive striped exterior thanks to its rammed earth construction. A traditional building method in northwestern Vietnam, architects Vo Trong Nghia wanted to celebrate this age-old construction process with a modern architectural twist.

Rammed earth home, Hanoi, Vietnam

Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Built in 2017 to accommodate a multigenerational family, the interior was designed as a series of private and communal spaces. An open-plan living space lies at the heart of the home, extending the full width of the dwelling. Floor-to-ceiling glazing creates a seamless flow between indoors and the garden outside.

Rammed earth home, Hanoi, Vietnam

Vo Trong Nghia Architects

The rammed earth walls are an impressive 35 centimetres thick, which makes them durable enough to bear the weight of two storeys without additional supports. A natural insulator, the soil-based structure offers the best of both worlds – a warm and cosy interior in the winter and a cool ventilated space in the summer months.

Rammed earth home, Hanoi, Vietnam

Vo Trong Nghia Architects

A close look at the roof reveals a hidden green oasis. Quirky planters host fruit trees, while a terrace garden offers the perfect vantage point to enjoy views of the remote, rural landscape.

Building a house with cork

Ecocubo / building pictures

This one might seem a little out there, but bear with us. Fire-resistant, waterproof and easy to shape, cork is an overlooked construction option that has a whole lot to offer. Its durable structure makes it ideal for home building, while its speckled texture offers a unique tactile finish.

Cork tiny house, Vila Real, Portugal

Ecocubo / building pictures

In Portugal, where the majority of the world's cork comes from, this prototype mobile cabin sits nestled amongst woodland. Constructed from cork panels and wood, it's easy to assemble and sits raised on stilts to accommodate a variety of terrains.

Cork tiny house, Vila Real, Portugal

Ecocubo / building pictures

The project was designed by startup Ecocubo to enable visitors to reconnect with the natural world. Measuring a snug nine square metres, it can house up to two intrepid explorers at a time.

Cork tiny house, Vila Real, Portugal

Ecocubo / building pictures

The structure's deceptively simple interior is packed full of clever, versatile storage. A compact sofa pulls out to create a double bed, while the kitchen units conceal a fridge and cooker, along with pull-out stools and a table for larger gatherings.

Cork tiny house, Vila Real, Portugal

Ecocubo / building pictures

It may be designed for tiny living, but this sleek space lacks none of the necessities. Tucked away in a side panel, the bathroom includes a modern composting toilet and shower. And it's equally as comfortable come the winter months – thanks to its cork facade, the structure remains insulated and cosy all year round.

Building an earthbag home

CalEarth

To create these unique homes, sandbags are filled with moistened earth and arranged in circular layers. Barbed wire is used to secure each layer and reinforce the structure, which is then finished with plaster. Derived from techniques used to build military bunkers, this sturdy method has passed even severe earthquake code tests in California. Impressive!

Earthbag house, California, USA

CalEarth

Dubbed the Eco-Dome, this earthbag design was created by CalEarth, a not-for-profit organisation that provides sustainable housing solutions for the displaced and homeless. A modular layout, it can be built as a double domed structure to provide additional bedrooms if necessary.

Earthbag house, California, USA

CalEarth

Having recently undergone a renovation, the Eco-Dome features a stylish, neutral interior with tiled flooring, soft arches and a wealth of natural textures.

Earthbag house, California, USA

CalEarth

It may only measure 400 square feet, but this pocket-sized home packs a punch when it comes to energy efficiency. A rocket mass heater and a 'wind scoop' passive cooling system ensure that the temperature remains in the Goldilocks zone, no matter the season.

Earthbag house, California, USA

CalEarth

Radiating off from the central open-plan living area, you'll find light-filled circular rooms, including a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Just look how cosy the bed looks!

Earthbag house, California, USA

CalEarth

Nestled in the apex of the ceiling, a vast skylight illuminates the heart of the house and offers the perfect vantage point for stargazing when night falls.

Building a house with cob

Sinn P. Photography / Shutterstock

Used in construction for centuries, cob is traditionally made by mixing clay-based soil with water, sand and straw. It's then shoveled or stamped together, and laid onto a stone foundation to dry out. You'll a need a little patience though, as this first stage alone can take up to a fortnight. Nevertheless, cob homes are robust and low-cost, with a tiny carbon footprint, so the wait may just be worth it.

Cob house, Mayne Island, Canada

Alexis / Airbnb

This unique cob cottage looks as though its escaped from the pages of a fairy tale. Hand-sculpted curved walls and an irregular wooden roof create an utterly enchanting facade. We're half expecting Snow White to emerge from the woods with a parade of small men...

Cob house, Mayne Island, Canada

Alexis / Airbnb

Located on Mayne Island, on the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia, this endearing property is bursting with charm. The staircase balustrade looks as though its come fresh from the forest, with its natural grain and quirky irregular angles preserved.

Cob house, Mayne Island, Canada

Alexis / Airbnb

Cob walls create an impressive natural heat store, providing plenty of insulation. But just in case the winter nights become especially bitter, the sculpted fireplace can be lit up for an evening around the hearth.

Cob house, Mayne Island, Canada

Alexis / Airbnb

Upstairs, the characterful wooden barrel ceiling creates a cosy bedroom space. Fancy calling this cute cob dwelling home for a few days? Prices are around £96 per night.

Building a house with Timbercrete

Timbercrete.com.au

Invented in Australia, Timbercrete comprises a mixture of recycled timber waste, sand and binding mortars. It's moulded or pressed into blocks and used in a similar way to conventional concrete bricks, minus the need for kiln firing. With a higher insulation rate than masonry systems and higher fire resistance levels too, it's a great route to a comfortable, energy efficient home.

Timbercrete house, Mudgee, Australia

realestate.com.au

At first glance, there's nothing out of the ordinary about this home in Mudgee, Australia. A popular building system down under, this striking contemporary structure is made from Timbercrete blocks, which offer plenty of architectural flexibility.

Timbercrete house, Mudgee, Australia

realestate.com.au

The open-plan interior of this four-bedroom home is bathed in light thanks to a clever inset skylight in the roof. Sleek and stylish, Italian marble flooring is offset against a Tasmanian Blackwood kitchen island, while an alfresco terrace leads off from the main living space.

Timbercrete house, Mudgee, Australia

realestate.com.au

The home's characterful brickwork is left exposed inside for an industrial-style edge, while the robust Timbercrete structure regulates the internal temperate for minimal heating bills.

Timbercrete house, Mudgee, Australia

realestate.com.au

Set within five acres, the home includes ample space for parking and storage, with enough land to add a pool. It's currently on the market for A$1.1 million (£547k).

Building an Earthship home

Earthship Biotecture

These innovative green structures are built from recycled or salvaged waste materials – old tyres, bottles and even beer cans. Each Earthship contains around 1,000 tyres which provide plenty of natural insulation. Created by architect Michael Reynolds, these alternative homes are completely self-sufficient, containing sustainable water harvesting and sewage systems, and producing their own electricity, heating and food.

Earthship Ironbank, Adelaide, Australia

Earthship Ironbank

A quaint bed and breakfast, this incredible Earthship is the perfect place for those looking to experience off-the-grid living. Seven years in the making, you'll find Australia's first Earthship tucked away in the hills of Adelaide.

Earthship Ironbank, Adelaide, Australia

Earthship Ironbank

Designed for two people, the bright open-plan interior features beautiful picture windows that draw the rural landscapes inside. The kitchen is powered by solar energy and includes a clever sustainable water supply. There's even a wood oven – ideal for homemade pizzas!

Earthship Ironbank, Adelaide, Australia

Earthship Ironbank

Recycled materials are given a stunning new lease of life, with coloured glass inset into the bathroom walls to create a beautiful stained glass effect.

Earthship Ironbank, Adelaide, Australia

Earthship Ironbank

Water is harvested from the roof of the Earthship, and used for washing and drinking. The waste is then utilised to water the innovative indoor garden, and recirculated to the toilets for flushing, before watering the outdoor garden.

Building a home with bamboo

Guillermo F. Florez / Vilela Florez

Bamboo grows incredibly fast, making it one of the most sustainable building materials out there. Strong and supple, some bamboo species even have the same strength ratio as steel. Thanks to its elasticity, it's a popular choice in areas where hurricanes and earthquakes strike, absorbing seismic shocks and high winds far better than more rigid structures.

Bamboo house, Pipa Beach, Brazil

Maira Acayaba / Vilela Florez

Designed by Vilela Florez, this luxury bamboo home was constructed in Brazil's rural northeast. Oriented towards the spot's prevailing winds, its clever design creates a natural passage of air across the gardens and into the bedrooms, cooling the thick tropical heat.

Bamboo house, Pipa Beach, Brazil

Maira Acayaba / Vilela Florez

Finished in only 10 months, the dramatic exterior features bamboo stick panels arranged in a striking herringbone pattern. It spans 1,938 square feet, encompassing three ensuite bedrooms and an outdoor kitchen and living zone.

Bamboo house, Pipa Beach, Brazil

Maira Acayaba / Vilela Florez

Natural textures are incorporated indoors too – this intricate wood feature wall acts as a commanding, oversized headboard. Inspired by the homeowner's sailboat trips through the Mediterranean, the interior draws on the region's crisp, clean colours for its simple but stylish aesthetic.

Bamboo house, Pipa Beach, Brazil

Maira Acayaba / Vilela Florez

Each of the spacious bedrooms opens out onto the main outdoor living area, which is sheltered by stone walls and a wooden canopy. An expansive pool measures the length of the property and provides the perfect place to soak up the sun. Now, wouldn't you say that they are better than concrete?