Strengthen (infra)nature, stone by stone

Biostack, Omlabs net zero 3D-printed block temporarily prevents erosion and feeds the soil so nature can thrive in construction and infra.

Hosted by

This project is now archived and was part of DDW24

This project is part of
Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building

Biostack, installation set-up for Desiging Society

Omlab

Omlab wants to increase the biologically active surface area of the Netherlands with green islands in the infrastructure. Concrete where necessary, and biodegradable material where possible. Prevent erosion of the soil, and nature provides the strength of the slope.

Biodiverse, self-regulating ecosystem

Omlab created a nature-positive material prototype for this purpose that is 3D-printable. It consists of 100% biocircular raw materials from construction, (waste) water and old paper: lime, sand, cellulose, alginate and Kaumera. These printed building blocks combat erosion and can be used on both a gentle and a steep slope. BioStack offers stability to vegetation in the first years. This is crucial for root formation. By slowly releasing lime and nutrients, the blocks stimulate plant growth. As the blocks degrade, the plants and their roots take over the stabilizing function. This creates a biodiverse, self-regulating ecosystem.

Biodiverse, self-regulating ecosystem

The ecosystem services are, besides erosion protection, soil enrichment, cooling, sound absorption and carbon sequestration. BioStack shows how regenerative building materials can contribute to a healthy and resilient living environment.