Cartesius Utrecht: living healthier and happier for longer
Nature house
Ambitious plans are becoming reality: eight energy-positive row houses made of bio-based materials will be built in Heeze in Brabant. These sustainable homes are called 'Nature Houses' and consist largely of prefabricated straw panels, allowing for fast and efficient construction. Ballast Nedam Development is developing the Nature House as a knowledge project. The company is determined to make the world a greener, healthier and happier place.
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95 % natural materials
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90.000 CO2 storage
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100 % nature-inclusive
One with nature
Because more than 95% of the houses are made of natural materials such as straw, a residual product from the agricultural sector, the materials save as much as 90 tonnes of CO2. Moreover, the Nature House generate as much as 10% extra energy. So you can actually think of them as little power plants. The façade and roof are largely covered with greenery. This greenery and the natural building materials act as a buffer for water management and combat heat stress.
Sustainable materials
The houses are insulated with flax: this grows again after harvesting, emits little CO2 and can easily be recycled. With wooden floors, a green roof, a solar roof and, of course, the indispensable straw panels, the future residents will soon live in harmony with nature.
Living in and around greenery
The Nature Houses are the winning concept following a search for scalable climate-positive townhouses launched by Ballast Nedam Development in late 2021. From 70 submissions, the combination of Strotec, Bouwbedrijf Van Herpen and architecten|en|en came up with the winning plan. These eight houses represent the first pilot project, thus making history with straw.
More information?
Onno Dwars
CEO Ballast Nedam Development
As CEO of Ballast Nedam Development, Onno pushes boundaries to make the world a better place for both human and nature.
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