The ECO-SEE project focused on developing eco-innovative, safe, and energy-efficient wall panels and materials to enhance indoor environmental quality in modern buildings. It addressed challenges like poor air quality from airtight, highly insulated structures by creating panels that regulate humidity, capture VOCs, and use photocatalytic coatings.
Project Goals
The 4-year EU FP7-funded initiative (completed around 2017) aimed to produce healthier, low-energy buildings meeting Passivhaus standards through multifunctional natural materials. Key benefits included reduced embodied carbon, better acoustics, and control of pollutants like mold and microbes.
Key Innovations
- Materials: Bio-based insulations (sheep’s wool, cellulose, hemp fibers), vapor-permeable finishes (clay/lime plasters), and low-VOC wood products.
- Technologies: Hygrothermal regulators, VOC-absorbing insulations, and novel photocatalytic nanotech coatings applied to lime/wood for air purification—first-of-their-kind integration.
- Applications: Internal partitions and external walls forming a “breathing envelope” for thermal comfort and energy savings.
Outcomes and Relevance
Prototypes demonstrated multifunctionality for affordability and durability over standard solutions. For architecture students like you interested in sustainable BIM design, ECO-SEE’s holistic approach aligns with eco-systemic principles, potentially adaptable in Revit/Dynamo workflows for energy modeling.
