_Our mission is to develop low-carbon renovation strategies that leverage nature-based solutions to make existing buildings more comfortable, healthy, and durable in the face of climate change.
We live in a time of climate crisis.
Buildings must be constructed and renovated with environmental sustainability as a core principle. At the same time, we need to be prepared for the unavoidable effects of climate change: growing threats of heatwaves and moisture-driven degradation.
The Building Physics team at Aalto University (A!BP) works at the intersection of hygrothermal building physics, materials science, and environmental sustainability. We develop adaptation strategies for the built environment in Nordic regions, preparing buildings for the challenges climate change will bring. This means minimising moisture-related degradation and mitigating summer overheating, problems expected to worsen in many parts of the world.
Our research focuses on the use of low-carbon materials, such as bio-based insulation and earthen components, to renovate existing buildings in ways that passively improve indoor comfort and reduce energy demand. This includes new-vernacular solutions such as ultralight earth insulation and massive bio-stabilised earthen walls, used to passively regulate indoor temperatures across the year through a balanced combination of thermal mass and thermal insulation. We also work on passive control of indoor humidity using high-tech hygroscopic materials, such as 3D-printed superhygroscopic geopolymer and clay panels.
At laboratory scale we test the heat and moisture transfer properties of building materials. Beyond the laboratory, we monitor heat and mass transfer and indoor climate in existing case-study buildings and in newly constructed nature-based pilot buildings. This allows us to validate laboratory-based observations through full-scale measurements.
Our work integrates perspectives from architecture and civil engineering, aiming to provide simple but comprehensive answers to complex problems.
We engage with the next generation of engineers and architects at Aalto University and in international workshops, bringing sustainable and healthy futures in construction into the classroom.
_Are you interested in developing a Bachelor or Master thesis at Aalto University, working on comfort and well-being in renovated buildings / the potential of clay- or bio-based materials to improve indoor comfort / reducing the risks climate change poses to existing buildings? Wishing to experiment with biobased material in our Labs, through a 5ECTS special assignment?
Get in touch to discuss your ideas!
Bio-Design for Low Carbon Architecture (Bio-LCArch) 2026-2027 is a collaborative project between Aalto University and Beijing Jiaotong University. The project consists of three modules and case studies where the learnings can be applied.
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