ACAN Natural Materials Directory
As a group we collated a list of natural construction materials manufacturers, suppliers and installers. Scroll down to reach the list of natural databases we have collated and another one listing publications and books. We hope this is a useful starting point for further exploration.
We update those lists from time to time, if you feel something should be added or updated, please let us know.
Manufacturers and suppliers:
| Name - Supplier | Summary (taken from resource / website) | URL | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptavate | Breathaboard (plasterboard alternative) and Breathaplasta. Made in UK. | https://adaptavate.com | April 2025 |
| Agreka Build | Wheatex - UK made straw insulation panels | https://www.agrekabuild.com/our-product | April 2025 |
| Albion Stone | Portland Stone bricks and blocks extracted from SW England | https://www.albionstone.com | April 2025 |
| Anglia Lime Company | Thermafleece Cosywool, Woodwool boards, Lime products | http://www.anglialime.com/ | April 2025 |
| Auro | German paint manufacturer | https://www.auropaint.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Back To Earth | UndiUnger, Beltermo and Steicoflex woodfibre insulation and other natural building materials inc. clay boards and plasters | https://www.backtoearth.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Best of Lime | Lime plasters, plastering products and Thermafleece insulation | https://bestoflime.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Baux | Acoustic panels made from natural fibres/ pulps | https://www.baux.se | April 2025 |
| Beeck | German mineral/linseed paint manufacturer | https://www.beeck.com/en | April 2025 |
| Blackmountain Insulation | Sheep’s wool & hemp insulation products | https://www.blackmountaininsulation.com/ | April 2025 |
| Brick and Lime Supplies | Pavatex, Steico, Woodwool boards, lime products | https://brickandlimesupplies.com/ | April 2025 |
| Brouns & Co | Larger manufacturer of linseed paint in the UK (plastic-free) | https://linseedpaint.com/ | April 2025 |
| Celtic Sustainables | Thermafleece, Pavatex, Woodwool board, lime products | https://www.celticsustainables.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Chalk Down Lime | Steico, Woodwool boards, Lime products | https://www.chalkdownlime.com/ | April 2025 |
| Clayworks | Clay and lime plasters, manufactured in Cornwall from abundant raw materials. | https://clay-works.com/ | April 2025 |
| Core Conservation | Lime and insulating plasters | https://www.coreconservation.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Cornish Lime | Lime and associated products from manufacturers including Saint Astier, Cornerstone and Adaptavate | https://cornishlime.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Earthborn Paint | Paint | https://earthbornpaints.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Ecocel | Blown cellulose insulation from recycled newspapers | https://www.ecocel.ie/ | April 2025 |
| EcoCocon | Load-bearing structural wall element made of FSC certified wood with straw insulation made with multidirectional press technology. | https://ecococon.eu/gb/ | April 2025 |
| Ecological Building Systems | Gutex Woodfibre, Thermafleece, Thermo Natur (Hemp & Jute insulation), Woodwool boards, Calcium Silicate Boards, Lime products | https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/ | April 2025 |
| Ecomerchant | Natural building product supplier (multiple products) | https://www.ecomerchant.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Edward Bulmer Paints | Natural paint manufacturer, based on Auro paints (plastic-free) | https://www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Forbo | Manufacturer of linoleum | https://www.forbo.com/ | April 2025 |
| Gramitherm | Waste grass insulation | https://gramitherm.eu/?lang=en | April 2025 |
| Gutex | Wood fibre insulation | https://www.gutex.de/ | April 2025 |
| Hemp Block | Hemp block supplier | https://hempblock.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Hutton Stone | Stone merchants - Stone bricks and blocks | https://www.huttonstone.co.uk/our-stone/ | April 2025 |
| Hempbuild | Specialist in Hempcrete construction and lime plastering Hempbuild Ltd | https://www.hempbuild.ie/ | April 2025 |
| Hemspan | Hemp based products and systems - UK Supplier of Isohemp | https://www.hemspan.com/ | April 2025 |
| Heraklith | Wood wool panels | https://www.heraklith.com/ | April 2025 |
| Indinature | Hemp fibre insulation | https://www.indinature.co/ | April 2025 |
| Ingilby Paints | Supplier/manufacturer of paints | https://www.ingilby.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Innotherm | Recycled denim cotton insulation | https://inno-therm.com/ | April 2025 |
| Insulation Superstore | Wood fibre & sheep’s wool insulation (and many more conventional insulation products) | https://www.insulationsuperstore.co.uk | April 2025 |
| Isocell | Blown cellulose insulation from recycled newspapers | https://www.isocell.com/en/cellulose/ | April 2025 |
| Isohemp Hemp Block | Isohemp hemp block is an Insulating, non-load bearing masonry. | https://www.isohemp.com/en | April 2025 |
| Keim | Paint, including silicate, and render/plasters | http://www.keimpaints.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Kreidezeit | German paint manufacturer using natural and renewable raw materials | https://www.kreidezeit.de/en/ | April 2025 |
| Lime Green | Lime-based products and wood fibre insulation | https://www.lime-green.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Lime Stuff | Thermafleece Pavatex (Pavaflex only), laths, woodwool, lime products, cob blocks (strocks), breathable paints. | https://www.limestuff.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Limebase | Production and supply of lime products | https://www.limebase.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Limecrete | Limecrete products | https://limecrete.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Lincolnshire Lime | Warmshell, Steico, Pavatex woodfibre insulations, Thermafleece Sheeps wool insulation, lime products | https://www.lincolnshirelime.co.uk | April 2025 |
| Linolie | Danish linseed paint manufacturer | https://linolie.dk/en | April 2025 |
| MDF Recovery | High-quality recycled fibre from waste MDF | https://www.mdfrecovery.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Mike Wye | Natural building products supplier | http://www.mikewye.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| ModCell | Straw panel construction system | https://modcell.com/ | April 2025 |
| Natural Building Technologies / Soprema | Pavatex Woodfibre products and systems | https://www.natural-building.co.uk | April 2025 |
| Natural Insulations | Thermafleece, Steico, lime plaster | https://naturalinsulations.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Old House Store | Reedboard, wood wool board, lath, plasters, lime | https://www.oldhousestore.co.uk | April 2025 |
| Passivhaus Store | Thermafleece, Pavetex, Steico, Warmshell, Woodwool board etc. | https://www.phstore.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| PYC Insulation | Distributors of Warmcel recycled cellulose insulation | https://www.warmcel.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Rose of Jericho | Manufacturers and suppliers of traditional paints and Lime products | https://roseofjericho.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Savolit | Wood wool products | https://www.savolit.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Sheepwool | Sheeps wool insulation products | https://www.sheepwoolinsulation.com/ | April 2025 |
| Sisalwood | Insulation made from sisal fibres and sheep wool or cotton, manufacturered by Sisaltech | https://www.sisalwool.com/ | April 2025 |
| Soprema | Wood fibre insulation | https://www.soprema.co.uk/en | April 2025 |
| Søuld | Eelgrass products designed to create healthy living environments. | https://www.sould.dk/ | April 2025 |
| Steico | Wood fibre products | https://web.steico.com/int/ | April 2025 |
| Steico Suppliers | UK map of Steico insulation Suppliers | https://www.steico.com/en/contact-service/steico-contact-for-your-region | April 2025 |
| The Lime Place | Lime products, and natural fibre insulation | https://www.thelimeplace.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| The Linseed Paint Company | Small manufacturer of linseed oil paint | https://linseedpaintcompany.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Thermacork | 100% natural cork insulation | https://www.thermacork.com/ | April 2025 |
| Thermafleece | British sheeps wool, hemp & recycled plastic insulation supplier | https://www.thermafleece.com/ | April 2025 |
| Thermofloc | Recycled Newspaper Insulation | http://www.thermoflocinsulation.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Ty Mawr | Natural building product supplier (multiple products) | https://www.lime.org.uk/ | April 2025 |
| UK Hempcrete | UK Hempcrete is a market-leading company, specialising in the use of Hempcrete (or ‘hemp-lime’) and other bio-based materials in construction. | https://www.ukhempcrete.com/ | April 2025 |
| Ultimate Insulation Supplies | Woodfibre, hemp and sheepswool insulation | https://www.ultimate-insulation.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Unity Lime | Natural Insulation + Pavatex | https://unitylime.co.uk | April 2025 |
| VRK | Insulation made out of the waste of old clothes | https://vrk-isolatie.nl/?lang=en | April 2025 |
| Warmcel | Recycled Newspaper Insulation | https://www.warmcel.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Womersleys | Warmshell, Steico, Thermafleece, Woodwool boards, render/plasters, lime products | https://www.womersleys.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Details / Specifications | Summary (taken from resource / website) | URL | Date |
| Back to Earth | Wood fibre insulation details | https://www.backtoearth.co.uk/product/universal-wood-fibre-insulation/ | April 2025 |
| Brouns & Co | NBS and TDS on Linseed Paint specifications | linseedpaint.com | April 2025 |
| EcoCocon | Prefabricated straw/timber cassettes. Technical details. | https://ecococon.eu/professionals/downloads | April 2025 |
| First In Architecture Detail Library | Detail Library shares construction details that can be adjusted and amended to suit your own projects | https://detail-library.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Lime-Green | Lime and Woodfibre Insulation Specification & information | https://www.lime-green.co.uk/knowledgebase | April 2025 |
| Pavatex | Wood fibre insulation detailing | https://www.pavatex.com/en/application/application/ | April 2025 |
| Retrofit Pattern Book | Retrofit Details and information using natural insuation | https://retrofit.support/ | April 2025 |
| Saint Astier | Hempcrete information - lime supplier | http://www.stastier.co.uk/nhl/data/batichanvre.php | April 2025 |
| Steico | Woodfibre, I-joist and Gluam Detailing | https://www.steico.com/en/ | April 2025 |
| Strawworks | Straw Bale Details | https://strawworks.co.uk/resources/technical-details/ | April 2025 |
| Thermafleece | Thermafleece insulation guides and build-ups (applicable generally to natural fibre insulation) | https://www.thermafleece.com/applications | April 2025 |
| Tradical | Hempcrete information - lime suppplier | https://www.bcb-tradical.com/en/reference-documents/ | April 2025 |
| Systems | Summary (taken from resource / website) | URL | Date |
| Back to Earth | Wood fibre insulation details | https://www.backtoearth.co.uk/product/universal-wood-fibre-insulation/ | April 2025 |
| Huff and Puff Construction | Straw Bale consultancy & training | https://www.huffpuff.me/ | April 2025 |
| Modcell | Straw Bale pre-fab system | https://modcell.com/ | April 2025 |
| Natural Building Systems | Our multidisciplinary team includes architects, engineers, material scientists and construction experts. | https://naturalbuildingsystems.com/ | April 2025 |
Databases:
| Name | Summary (taken from resource / website) | URL | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Design Scotland | Scotland - Material Considerations - A library of sustainable building materials | https://materials.ads.org.uk/ | April 2025 |
| ASBP Lime Group | UK - The ASBP Lime Group is a collective of ASBP members who are the leading manufacturers and suppliers of lime products in the UK | tbc | April 2025 |
| ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group | England - The Natural Fibre Insulation Group (NFIG) is a collective of ASBP members who are the leading manufacturers and suppliers of natural fibre insulation in the UK. | https://asbp.org.uk/group/natural-fibre-insulation | April 2025 |
| ASBP Paints and Finishes Group | UK - The ASBP Paints and Finishes Group is a collective of ASBP members who are the leading manufacturers and suppliers of natural paint and finishes in the UK | https://asbp.org.uk/paints-finishes-group | April 2025 |
| Climate Outreach | UK - Talking to the public/external groups about climate issues | https://climateoutreach.org/reports/rural-attitudes-climate-uk/ | April 2025 |
| Construction Material Library for EU | The library includes manufacturer specific data about the materials like the material's density, thermal conductivity, and thickness. Not necessarily sustainable materials | https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=6825140766630953113&appLang=en&os=Win64 | April 2025 |
| Construction Material Pyramid | Denmark - An online tool which offers an overview of the CO2impact of the materials of your construction project | https://www.materialepyramiden.dk/ | April 2025 |
| Dataholz | Germany - Catalogue of wood and wood-based materials, building materials, components and component connections for timber construction covering thermal, acoustic, fire and ecological performance levels, released by accredited testing institutes. | https://www.dataholz.eu/en/index.htm | April 2025 |
| Ecoplatform | EPD Database - Your access point to digital product data for Building and Construction LCA | https://www.eco-platform.org/epd-data.html | April 2025 |
| Envirodec | Sweden - International EPD Database | https://www.environdec.com/library | April 2025 |
| First Planit | England - For sourcing natural materials and comparing sustainability data | www.firstplanit.com | April 2025 |
| Green Spec | UK - GreenSpec promotes sustainable building products, materials and construction techniques. | https://www.greenspec.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Healthy Materials Lab | USA - A resource to design a healthier future | https://healthymaterialslab.org/ | April 2025 |
| ICE Database | England - Embodied Carbon Footprint Database by Circular Ecology | https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon-footprint-database.html | April 2025 |
| Material District | Netherlands - Material District (formerly Materia), a global network of innovative materials and finishes | https://materialdistrict.com/material/ | April 2025 |
| Materials Lab | USA - Texas based web directory of materials and building products | https://soa.utexas.edu/resources/materials-lab | April 2025 |
| Materiom | Global - Our library features open source recipes for materials made from abundant biomass that can be locally sourced. | https://materiom.org/ | April 2025 |
| NHBC standards | UK - Established in 1936, provider of warranty and insurance for new homes. An essential guide to house building from foundations to roofs and finishing | https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/ | April 2025 |
| Passive House Institute | Germany - Construction Systems Database | https://database.passivehouse.com/en/components/list/construction_system | April 2025 |
| Retrofit Pattern Book | England - Retrofit Details and information using natural insuation | https://retrofit.support/ | April 2025 |
| Robust Details | The alternative to pre-completion sound testing to meet Part E of the Building Regulations |
https://www.robustdetails.com/ | April 2025 |
| Sustainable Sources LLP | USA - 'Green Building' information | https://sustainablesources.com/building-materials/ | April 2025 |
| The Pebble Trust & SEDA | Scotland - Sustainable Retrofit Guide with interesting and useful information, and nice illustrations | https://www.thepebbletrust.org/sustainable-renovation-guide/ | April 2025 |
| Timber Development UK (was Trada) | UK - Wood Species Database: The species database will help you choose the most suitable wood species for your project. | https://timberdevelopment.uk/wood-species/ | April 2025 |
Publications:
| Name | URL | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bio‐aggregate‐based Building Materials Authors: Sofiane Amziane, Laurent Arnaud, Noël Challamel ISBN: 9781848214040 |
April 2025 | |
| Building with Lime: A practical introduction Authors: Stafford Homes & Michael Wingate ISBN: 9781853395475 |
April 2025 | |
| Building with Straw Bales: A Practical Manual for Self-Builders and Architects: A Step-by-Step Guide Author: Barbara JonesISBN: 9780857842282 |
April 2025 | |
| Clay and lime renders, plasters and paints: A how-to guide to using natural finishes Author: Adam Weismann, Katy Bryce ISBN: 9780857842695 |
April 2025 | |
| Cross Laminated Timber: A Design stage primer Author: Nic Crawley ISBN: 9781859469224 |
April 2025 | |
| Designing timber structures: An introduction Author: BM TRADA ISBN: 9781909594845 |
April 2025 | |
| Details in Contemporary Timber Architecture Author: Virgina McLeod ISBN: 9781780676555 |
April 2025 | |
| Earth Render: The art of clay plaster, render and paints Author: Alanna Moore ISBN: 9780975778203 |
April 2025 | |
| Earthen Floors: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice Author: Sukita Reay Crimmel, James Thomson ISBN: 9780865717633 |
April 2025 | |
| Green Building Bible Authors: Keith Hall et al. ISBN: 9781898130017 |
April 2025 | |
| Handbook of Sustainable Building Authors: David Anink, Chiel Boonstra, John Mak ISBN: 9781873936382 |
April 2025 | |
| Hot Mixed Lime and Traditional Mortars: A Practical Guide to Their Use in Conservation and Repair Author: Nigel Copsey ISBN: 9781785005558 |
April 2025 | |
| Light Earth Building: A Handbook for Building with Wood and Earth Author: Franz Volhard ISBN: 9783035606348 |
April 2025 | |
| Lime in Building: A Practical Guide Author: Jane Schofield ISBN: 9780952434122 |
April 2025 | |
| Linseed Paint and Oil - A practical Guide to the Traditional Production and Application Author: Michiel Brouns ISBN: 9780719842252 |
April 2025 | |
| Making Better Buildings: A Comparative Guide to Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors Author: Chris Magwood ISBN: 9780865717060 |
April 2025 | |
| Manual of Biogenic House Section Authors: David J. Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and Paul Lewis ISBN: 9781957183091 |
April 2025 | |
| Natural Building Techniques: A Guide to Ecological Methods and Materials Author: Tom Woolley ISBN: 9780719840470 |
April 2025 | |
| Passive House Component Catalogue: New Buildings Authors: Austrian Institue for Healthy and Ecological Building ISBN: 9783035629095 |
April 2025 | |
| Rammed Earth Structures: A code of Practice Authors: Julian Keable & Rowland Keable ISBN: 9781853397271 |
April 2025 | |
| The Ecology of Building Materials Author: Bjorn Berge ISBN: 9781856175371 |
April 2025 | |
| The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp-Lime Authors: William Stanwix & Alex Sparrow ISBN: 9780857841209 |
April 2025 | |
| The Whole House Book: Ecological Building Design and Materials Authors: Cindy Harris & Pat Borer ISBN: 9781902175225 |
April 2025 | |
| Accredited Construction Details (Scotland) | https://cis.ihs.com/cis/browse/publishers/scottish-government | April 2025 |
| How to design wooden industrial buildings | https://www.storaenso.com/-/media/documents/download-center/documents/product-brochures/wood-products/stora-enso-industrial-concept-brochure.pdf | April 2025 |