Novel carbon-negative construction materials

Europe's existing building stock is its largest decarbonisation challenge: millions of homes are cold, energy-inefficient and expensive to heat, yet conventional external retrofit is bulky, unattractive and often erases a building's original character. This project develops carbon-negative biochar bricks and tiles as a thin, insulating thermal-envelope material for external retrofit, combining measurable climate performance with the aesthetic and social goals of the New European Bauhaus.

The material's porous biochar structure gives it a thermal conductivity around eight times lower than conventional fired clay, so a slim external layer delivers meaningful insulation without the thickness of standard systems. Because it is carbon-negative (sequestering carbon rather than emitting it) and a visual match for traditional brick, it lets homeowners, housing associations and heritage-sensitive districts improve energy performance while preserving the look and identity of their buildings, rather than cladding them in alien materials.

The project will validate the material's thermal and durability performance in real retrofit settings, co-designing demonstrator applications with residents and local stakeholders to ensure the results are affordable, replicable and genuinely wanted by the communities who live with them. The outcome is a retrofit solution that is at once sustainable (carbon-negative, energy-saving), beautiful (authentic brick aesthetic, no visual compromise) and inclusive (lower bills, accessible to social and heritage housing), demonstrating how advanced materials can make the renovation wave both desirable and attainable across Europe.