Building Renewable

Dedicated to Renewable, Sustainable Building Materials and Technologies.

Read about how to build a sustainable home using a wise range of technologies and approaches.

Builder in an orange hi-viz tabbard holding a set of plans in a wooded area.

Building Renewable’s Mission

Our mission is to share our knowledge of sustainable building materials and techniques to allow more people to build homes that work in harmony with the planet.

We have articles on traditional building techniques that have very low carbon footprints, clever ways to obtain recycled materials that will save you money as well as reduce the impact on the environment, and ideas for using materials that you might not have considered.

Read Our Sustainable Building Knowledge base Articles

Our guides and articles will bring your knowledge up to date and inspire your next project.

Adobe Construction

Adobe construction uses sun-dried mud bricks and is popular in hot, arid regions. Although the basic technique is fairly rudimentary, the results can be modern and quite refined.

An adobe building with a curved wall in front. It's end wall is made of stone, which complements the adobe beautifully. Roundwood beams protrude from the front face of the wall, and desert plants adorn the garden.
Adobe is a traditional form of building that looks great with a plaster finish.
Two photographs of houses being built. The one on the left is using adobe construction and shows a worker laying adobe bricks on top of a high wall. The photo on the right shows a traditional stick-framed house under construction. In the center of the image is a "VS" icon and across the bottom of the image are the words, "Cost of Adobe Construction vs. Conventional Construction."

Cost of Adobe Construction

A photograph of two adobe buildings side-by-side in a street under a blue sky with brilliant sunshine. One is ochre-colored and the other is yellow-brown. Across the top of the iimage are the words "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Building with Adobe." A cartoon checklist of pros and cons is in the bottom right corner.

Adobe Construction Advantages and Disadvantages

A photograph of an adobe house with orange plastered walls and roundwood beams protruding from the walls. It has small windows and wooden doors, with drainpipes on the walls to remove water from the roof via scuppers. Across the bottom are the words "How to Build an Adobe House: 7-Step Guide For Success." In the top right corner is a cartoon book with "How To" written on its cover.

How to Build an Adobe House

Bamboo Architecture

Our bamboo construction articles showcase the amazing structures that this versatile material has been used to create.

A series of platforms, walkways, and handrails using bamboo as the main structural sustainable building product.
Bamboo is a beautiful material to build with and brings character to any structure.
A through mortise and tenon joint made by cutting a hole in a bamboo pole and inserting a smaller diameter pole into the hole. The joint is then secured with a bamboo pin.

Bamboo Building Joints

A well-designed and engineered bamboo roof. The ridge is a thick section of bamboo culm lashed with black cord to other main members also made of bamboo. There are thinner cross-pieces arranged perpendicular to the main ridge member at regular intervals. Above this is a woven layer of bamboo strips or "splits".

Bamboo Roofs

Bamboo scaffolding used on a high-rise building with many windows.

Bamboo vs Steel

Sheep’s Wool Insulation

Sheep’s wool insulation is highly efficient, fire resistant, and durable, as well as being very eco-friendly.

A white sheep's fleece with cartoon green tick and red cross speech bubbles overlain to indicate the concept of the pros and cons of sheep's wool insulation.
Sheep’s wool insulation has many benefits, including high R-values and fire resistance.
A photograph of sheep's wool with cartoon thumbs up and thumbs down images overlay. Across the top of the image are the words "The Pros and Cons of Sheep's Wool Insulation."

Pros and Cons of Sheep’s Wool Insulation

A photograph of a woman holding a piece of sheep's wool insulation on the left side of the image and a photograph of a worker installing batts of pink fiberglass insulation between wall studs on the right. Across the top of the image are the words, "What Is the R-Value of Sheep's Wool Insulation (vs. Others)" In the lower center of the image are the letters "VS.

R-Value of Sheep’s Wool Insulation

An image shown blown-in and batt insulation being installed. The batts are placed between the wall studs and are held there by friction. The blown-in insulation comprises small particles that are blown into the space between the wall studs, starting from the top. The particles are held in place by a mesh that is stapled into position across the wall studs. The background to the image is a closeup of a sheeps fleece and across the top of the image are the words "6 Great Companies That Make Sheep's Wool Insulation."

Companies That Make Sheep’s Wool Insulation

More Articles on Sustainable Building

Screenshots of the websites of four sustainable building material companies in New York. In the center of the image is a red label with the word "Best."
Adobe | Bamboo | Building Codes | Cob | Earthbag | Engineered Wood | Flooring | Hemp | Insulation | Rammed Earth | Wool

Best 15 Sustainable Building Material Companies in New York

ByJim Pritchard

If you’re interested in building in New York using eco-friendly materials and techniques, you might want to check one of these companies out. This article lists the best 15 sustainable building material companies in New York and what makes them unique.

Kitchen utensils and jars of food sit on a reclaimed wood shelf with a reclaimed wood accent wall behind. Across the top of the photograph are the words, "Is Reclaimed Wood Food Safe? 3 Critical Facts Explained." on the right-hand side is a "food safe" icon, showing a wine glass and a fork in a circle.
Reclaimed Wood | Healthy Buildings | Wood

Is Reclaimed Wood Food Safe? 3 Critical Facts Explained

ByJim Pritchard

Old wood reclaimed from demolished buildings or refits can add character to your home. However, if you want to use it in a kitchen or dining room, you might wonder, “is reclaimed wood food safe, or not?” This article explains the most important things to consider, so you can stay safe.