Material

Eelgrass

By

Made in

Biodegradable 239 Circular 223 Recyclable 121 Recycled 124 Eelgrass 2 Seaweed 14

Eelgrass
Eelgrass
Eelgrass
Eelgrass
Eelgrass
Eelgrass
Eelgrass

Photos: Kel Hudson

Prefabricated seaweed thatch panels

Imagine a building material that is rot-resistant, fire-resistant, non-toxic, insulates comparably with mineral wool and can be used to create carbon-negative buildings. Actually, this is a material which has been used for centuries around the world, until we forgot how to use it. It’s called eelgrass and is a type of seagrass.

By combining the traditional seaweed thatching technique from Læsø, with prefabrication, these convenient panels, install easily on roofs and facades. In theory, they can provide supplementary insulation and act as a type of green roofing material by supporting local plant life. In 2019, the Seaweed Pavilion was built with these panels to test them and to encourage the general public to experience eelgrass as a building material.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.

Ingredients

Eelgrass, seaweed, seagrass

Credits

Boligfondens Kuben Spirekasse

Physical samples

  • 0071-1

Accessible to participants at the Jan van Eyck Academie and during Open Studios.