The construction industry generates one of the biggest environmental burdens today. It consumes half of all raw materials extracted, generates around a third of waste in the EU and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. However, innovations are emerging in this field that can significantly reduce its impact. And some of them come from the Czech Republic.

Burinka is responding to the growing need for change by seeking and supporting projects focused on sustainable housing and construction through the Innovations by Burinka programme. In its grant call, it will distribute CZK 2.5 million. At the workshop accompanying the grant call, the organizers were familiarized with specific ideas: will we one day build structures from used textiles, hemp or tennis balls? Those interested in getting a grant can discuss the relevance of their ideas and projects before the grant call closes and the evaluation committee meets. The date will be April 10.

A third of waste is generated by construction

According to experts from INCIEN, construction is one of the key sectors where new approaches need to be sought. “The production of basic materials such as cement, steel and plastics accounts for most industrial CO₂ emissions, and the construction sector alone generates around a third of all waste produced in the EU,” said Sonia Klepek Jonášová, founder of INCIEN.

In addition, it still seems that a large part of the problems arise at the design stage of buildings – this is where the greatest scope for reducing both the carbon footprint and material consumption is. “If we want to reduce the construction industry’s impact, it’s not enough to solve individual materials. It’s necessary to change the whole approach – from design to construction to the use of buildings,” added Jonášová.

Czech innovations point the way

Solutions already exist or are being created. In the Czech Republic, too, there are projects that bring new materials and approaches to building. They are united by an emphasis on the circular economy, i.e. reusing materials and extending the life of buildings.

“In the Czech Republic, a number of interesting projects are being developed that have the potential to move the construction industry towards greater sustainability. We are actively mapping them at Burinka. Now, as a part of our innovation call, we are looking for two projects to support and help with their development. That is one of the reasons we organized a workshop, where those interested in a grant could discuss their projects with the expert team and correctly describe them in their application. At the same time, we gave them the opportunity to introduce themselves and show their proposed solution,” said Stanislav Lukáš, a member of the Česká spořitelna board of directors.

Within the framework of the innovation call, the expert evaluation committee will select two projects, a main one with support of CZK 2 million and a secondary one with support of CZK 500 thousand. “The winner will not only receive a financial reward, we will also help the selected teams with further development and project management. It will become the new flagship for Innovations by Burinka with all the care we have given to projects such as the first 3D printed house Prvok or the SAMOROST house,” added Lukáš.

Examples of interesting innovations in the construction industry, presented at the Burinka workshop:

• recycling of used tennis balls (dropp): „There are 350 million tennis balls produced annually, of which 2 million are sold in the Czech Republic. In one, two or three games, the tennis ball is worn out, but what happens then? It is thrown in the bin,” said Vít Gloser, creator of the dropp project, adding: “We first made trainers from crushed balls, then a dog toy. Now we are focusing on construction and architecture and developing insulation panels. We want to work on sustainability in sport in general, not just tennis. Sport is beautiful, but it fundamentally pollutes the environment.“
• recycling of textile waste (Diakonie Broumov): „We had a huge amount of textiles ending up in landfills. And we wanted to avoid that. That’s why we’re now starting production of recycled textile panels. We want to use the panels in a building system as well,” explained Pavel Hendrichovský of Diakonie Boumov.

• use of recycled glass (Glassiteca): „We are able to recycle waste glass that no one can use anymore. The material has many great properties, usable in design, architecture and industry. It is environmentally-friendly, durable and lightweight. Currently, for example, we are growing microgreens on it, but it can be used for green façades and street furniture,“said Michal Starý of Glassiteca.

  

• large-format robotic 3D printing (Fungamental): „Our ultimate vision is to one day print buildings and make them like cars,“said Pavel Kross of Fungamental.
• hemp use (UCEEB): „“Hemp is a super-raw material with lots of benefits. We’d like to prove it by building a tiny house in which hemp plays a major role. Hemp will be in the floors, ceilings and supporting structure, where we will replace wood with it,“explained Jakub Diviš of UCEEB.

In addition, Burinka is already working with the startup Cementum to develop low-emission cement-free concrete. “This project is a reference demonstration of what cooperation as a part of the programme can look like and what a partnership with us can bring to applicants – from testing and development to finding a path to real application in practice,” explained Lukáš.

The future of the construction industry: less material, more thinking

The experience of experts and innovators alike shows that the future of the construction industry will not only be based on new materials, but also on a change of approach.

Alongside technological innovation, the keys will be:

• working with materials so that they can be reused;
• esigning buildings with a longer lifespan and the option of modifications;
• making more use of existing buildings instead of new construction.

Grant call by Burinka

Projects can be submitted for the Innovation Call by Burinka until 10 April An expert committee will then select two winners to be supported by Burinka. “The project presentations were very interesting. It is already clear that the choice will not be easy, because each of the projects we saw at the workshop makes sense and has great potential for the sustainable construction sector,” added František Brückner from the Partnership Foundation.

The professional guarantors for the grant call are INCIEN and the Partnership Foundation.