| Ecologically Sustainable building materials | | | | gave the builder better profits, tilted them in favor of |
| Environment and sustainability have taken the center | | | | using such products. Rampant use of these products |
| stage in present times, as all governments and | | | | have resulted in creation of millions of tones of |
| citizens have started realizing the importance of | | | | hazardous waste, something that are non |
| sustaining the ecological balance, and ensuring that life | | | | bio-degradable and are lingering on the planet, making |
| is made comfortable on this planet. Buildings consume | | | | life difficult for the present and future generations. |
| 40% of our planet’s raw materials and use up | | | | Some very common sustainable materials that have |
| 30% of energy available for use. The construction | | | | started finding favor with builders, even in the urban |
| uses up to three million tones of raw materials in a | | | | areas are clay, sand, rock, bamboo, straw, concrete |
| year and generates 20% of the solid waste. This | | | | and even wood. Use of these sustainable materials |
| clearly indicates the amount of energy and materials | | | | have resulted in creation of eco-friendly homes, |
| that we spend to sustain the buildings and keep | | | | which not only are very healthy to live in but also are |
| them in a good state. If we want to survive our | | | | very energy friendly and help the citizen reduce |
| urban future, there is no option but to build in ways | | | | energy consumption. For example, homes insulated |
| which improve the health of ecosystem. This is | | | | with clay are very cool inside and require lesser |
| where use of eco-friendly raw materials gains | | | | air-conditioning. Sand and stones have been used for |
| importance, as these raw materials not only are | | | | constructions from times immemorial. Nowadays they |
| advantageous in the fact that they create very less | | | | are used to make concrete and along with steel form |
| of hazard waste but also healthy in nature and are | | | | the strongest combination as far as building |
| known to cause nil or very minimal discomfort to | | | | construction is concerned. |
| living beings. | | | | Wood, bamboo and straw are also used, though |
| In response to the voices that have started getting | | | | these are not very visible in the urban areas. They |
| stronger, urging builders to use natural resources | | | | are cost effective and hence find their application |
| against artificial raw materials, the building community | | | | mostly in rural areas. Bamboos are predominantly |
| has started more usage of such eco-friendly raw | | | | used in areas that have occurrences of earthquakes. |
| materials. It is not that these were never used | | | | This is because such homes are easy to re build, at |
| before. Earlier generations had used these materials | | | | the same time, the impact of such homes collapsing |
| to build strong eco-friendly homes that have lasted | | | | does not tend to hurt the inmates, as much as a |
| quite long. But the advent of easier products, which | | | | concrete home does. |