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Discover, save, invest and grow
#cooperatives #coopnews #Coopsday #Saccos #Sacconews

Dutch engineers, through the startup Respyre, have developed bioreceptive concrete bricks that encourage moss to grow on building surfaces, turning urban facades into living, self-sustaining ecosystems.
These bricks are made from a porous, nutrient-rich concrete formula — largely composed of recycled material — that gives moss the surface it needs to take hold. Because moss anchors itself with tiny rhizoids rather than penetrating roots, it clings to walls without causing structural damage.
The environmental benefits are substantial. Moss-covered surfaces absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, filter particulates and other pollutants from both air and water, and cool buildings through evapotranspiration. The temperature difference is striking: a plain concrete wall can reach 60°C in direct sun, while a moss-covered one stays around 30°C, significantly cutting the need for mechanical cooling.
Maintenance is minimal. Once established, the moss relies on natural rainfall and ambient humidity, making it a cost-effective option for cities looking to build greener. Pilot installations in the Netherlands — including social housing balconies in Amsterdam's Rivierenbuurt and exploratory applications on wind turbine bases — are already demonstrating what this technology can do at scale.
By improving air quality, supporting urban biodiversity, and reducing the heat island effect, moss bricks offer a scalable, low-resource path toward healthier, more sustainable cities.
Images are generated by AI and for demonstration purposes only.
Source: Bleij, A., & de Kruijff, M. (2022). Bioreceptive concrete for urban greening: Moss growth on building facades. TU Delft / Respyre.
#sustainability #greencities #urbaninnovation #architecture #climateaction #livingwalls #mossconcrete #netherlands #greenliving #fblifestyle
These bricks are made from a porous, nutrient-rich concrete formula — largely composed of recycled material — that gives moss the surface it needs to take hold. Because moss anchors itself with tiny rhizoids rather than penetrating roots, it clings to walls without causing structural damage.
The environmental benefits are substantial. Moss-covered surfaces absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, filter particulates and other pollutants from both air and water, and cool buildings through evapotranspiration. The temperature difference is striking: a plain concrete wall can reach 60°C in direct sun, while a moss-covered one stays around 30°C, significantly cutting the need for mechanical cooling.
Maintenance is minimal. Once established, the moss relies on natural rainfall and ambient humidity, making it a cost-effective option for cities looking to build greener. Pilot installations in the Netherlands — including social housing balconies in Amsterdam's Rivierenbuurt and exploratory applications on wind turbine bases — are already demonstrating what this technology can do at scale.
By improving air quality, supporting urban biodiversity, and reducing the heat island effect, moss bricks offer a scalable, low-resource path toward healthier, more sustainable cities.
Images are generated by AI and for demonstration purposes only.
Source: Bleij, A., & de Kruijff, M. (2022). Bioreceptive concrete for urban greening: Moss growth on building facades. TU Delft / Respyre.
#sustainability #greencities #urbaninnovation #architecture #climateaction #livingwalls #mossconcrete #netherlands #greenliving #fblifestyle

This year’s International Credit Union (ICU) Day will take the theme ‘Cooperative finance: A steady signal in a noisy world’, sector bodies Woccu and WFCU announced today.
https://www.thenews.coop/world-credit-union-day-to-focus-on-stability-and-trust/
https://www.thenews.coop/world-credit-union-day-to-focus-on-stability-and-trust/





