Awards ceremony on Feb. 3
Nominated in the Environmental Impact category
On its way to a climate-neutral society, construction, as a large sector, has a big step to take in reducing direct and indirect CO2 emissions. With the 'Environmental Impact' category, the BouwBeurs Awards aims to encourage this transition by rewarding products and services that contribute to making the built environment more sustainable in the short term.
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Environmental impact
In this category, the jury could choose from very diverse solutions: from bio-based earplugs and energy-generating vacuum glass to circular construction fencing and ready-made hedges with native plant species that promote biodiversity. The jury found it inspiring to see how in each product and service in its own way steps have been taken that are necessary to realize that climate-neutral society.
Ultimately, the jury looked at innovative solutions that have the potential to make the greatest environmental impact. From that perspective, the jury nominated BUVA and Holonite's CO2-neutral sill, Duco Natural Cooling and Brink's Ibis for Environmental Impact for the Environmental Impact category.
In these solutions, sustainability is baked into the DNA, so to speak.
CO2-neutral sill from BUVA and Holonite
The CO2-neutral sill from BUVA and Holonite combines natural fiber (flax) with a resin based on renewable resources. The biocomposite replaces traditional materials such as concrete and plastic, with a significantly lower carbon footprint. The manufacturing process is less energy intensive, while the Cradle-to-Cradle certified sill simultaneously stores CO2. Mechanically, the product meets all building regulations and can be used in existing building methods without any modifications. A first functional prototype will be presented at the BouwBeurs.
Duco Natural Cooling by Duco
Duco Natural Cooling offers an energy-efficient solution against overheating by combining demand-controlled shading with cooling through ventilation. This replaces energy-intensive air conditioning. The integrated Duco IntelliHub automatically controls the components based on weather data, such as temperature and wind speed, measured by the Duco Weather Station. Simulations show up to 80% energy savings in homes with underfloor cooling, and in apartments connected to heat networks an annual CO₂ reduction of 325 kg per home.
Ibis for Environmental Impact from Brink Software
Ibis for Environmental Impact from Brink Software is a software tool with intuitive controls that seamlessly integrates environmental impact calculations with project budgets. Designed for construction professionals, the software provides real-time insight into carbon emissions, environmental cost indicators (EQI) and the financial impact of design decisions. The tool uses up-to-date data from the National Environmental Database and automates complex MPG calculations by automatically linking environmental maps to budget rows. Functionalities such as variant comparison and scenario analysis support informed choices.