Building materials
TNO has extensive knowledge of the environmental effects of building materials. We are working on increasing the circularity of building materials with a focus on making concrete more sustainable as well as developing circular innovations for brick, gypsum and wood. Examples of such innovations are the development of cold-baked bricks and the reuse of wooden doors.

Our latest developments
Pioneering sustainable concrete
Meet MIMO: our new approach to sustainable concrete with (re)use of secondary raw materials. Read what this means for the concrete sector.


Natural stone
How ‘smart thermochromic glass’ saves energy in homes


Making homes sustainable: knowledge breakthroughs and new opportunities thanks to AI


Boosting affordable housing with cementless blocks
The market demand for construction materials is tremendous in developing countries due to a growing population. To tackle the disadvantages of hollow concrete blocks and burnt bricks Oskam , LEVS and TNO are developing a new kind of cementless compressed earth block for housing. These innovative blocks only require local resources and no cement.