The Relevance of Earthen Plasters for Eco Innovative, Cost-Efficient and Healthy Construction—Results from the EU-Funded Research Project [H]house

The European building sector is moving towards more complex and high-tech building approaches. While focusing on energy efficiency, aspects, e.g. occupant health, sustainability and life-cycle costing are often neglected. This study highlights the potential of earthen plasters in combination with natural ventilation for low-tech solutions. The EU-funded project [H]house established the outstanding performance of earthen materials in light of hygrothermal and air-purifying properties, which were further supported by experimental data from monitoring of naturally ventilated pilot buildings in Berlin. Additionally, [H]house demonstrated through LCC an increased cost-efficiency of earth-based low-tech solutions in comparison with conventional constructions relying on mechanical ventilation.