HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01 | Bio-based Ceramic Building Envelope for Thermal Comfort Using Hemp Waste

HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01

Bio-based Ceramic Building Envelope Solutions for Thermal Comfort Using Hemp Waste. Transforming industrial hemp waste into beautiful, bio-based ceramic building envelope solutions for climate-resilient, low-carbon and thermally comfortable buildings.

Selcuk University (Türkiye) is preparing a proposal as coordinator for the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01: Sustainable, Inclusive, Affordable and Beautiful Solutions for Thermal Comfort in Buildings.

The project aims to develop an innovative bio-based ceramic building envelope system by valorising two different fractions of industrial hemp waste.

The first innovation focuses on architectural ceramic tiles glazed with hemp ash. Hemp ash will be incorporated into ceramic glaze formulations to develop durable, aesthetically appealing ceramic surfaces for façade and interior cladding while replacing conventional raw materials and increasing the value of agricultural waste.

The second innovation focuses on porous ceramic insulation elements produced by using hemp hurd as a sacrificial pore-forming agent. During firing, the hemp hurd burns out, creating a lightweight porous ceramic structure with improved thermal and acoustic insulation performance. These ceramic elements will contribute to thermal comfort, energy efficiency, fire safety and long-term durability.

The project proposes an integrated ceramic building envelope system that combines architectural aesthetics with functional thermal insulation while promoting circular use of agricultural waste and supporting the objectives of the New European Bauhaus and the European Green Deal.

The developed solutions will be demonstrated in two different European countries, including applications on existing and cultural heritage buildings, and their environmental, technical and socio-economic performance will be evaluated through life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, thermal comfort analysis and user feedback.

Current consortium

• Selçuk University (Türkiye) – Coordinator (ceramic materials, ceramic glazes, porous ceramics, architectural ceramics and project management)

• Konya Metropolitan Municipality (Türkiye) – Demonstration site

• Municipality of Ruvo del Monte, Italy – Demonstration site

• S.S.S. Çumra Anadolu Hemp Production Cooperative (Türkiye) – Industrial hemp waste supplier

Partners sought

We are looking for universities, research centres, SMEs and industrial partners with expertise in one or more of the following fields:

• Building physics and thermal comfort

• Materials science and advanced material characterisation

• Thermal and acoustic testing

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC)

• Fire performance of construction materials

• Building envelope engineering

• Sustainable construction materials

• Architecture and cultural heritage conservation

• Ceramic manufacturing and industrial scale-up

• Standardisation, certification and market uptake

We are particularly interested in partners willing to lead work packages on building performance assessment, life cycle assessment (LCA), material characterisation, and demonstration monitoring.