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The aim of this study was to develop a lightweight composite facade element for new buildings and for the refurbishment of existing facades. These composite elements have been developed combining an insulation layer of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) with an external ultrahighperformance concrete (UHPC) supporting layer. This solution allows avoiding the use of connectors and facilitates the production procedure. The structural behavior of the facade elements is mainly influenced by the presence of the upturning edges that are able to increase the stiffness of the element and reduce the thickness of the external layer. The insulation material has no influence on the structural behavior of the UHPC boxes. Flexural tests were carried out to investigate a potential detachment of the external layer from the upturning edge. The photogrammetric Analysis used during the flexural tests essentially confirmed that the bond between the two UHPC layers cast in two steps is reliable. The quality of the bond between the external layer and the upturning edge is a key parameter to define the bearing capacity of the element.

The European building sector is moving towards more complex and high-tech building approaches. While focusing on energy efficiency, aspects, e.g. occupant health, sustainability and life-cycle costing are often neglected. This study highlights the potential of earthen plasters in combination with natural ventilation for low-tech solutions. The EU-funded project [H]house established the outstanding performance of earthen materials in light of hygrothermal and air-purifying properties, which were further supported by experimental data from monitoring of naturally ventilated pilot buildings in Berlin. Additionally, [H]house demonstrated through LCC an increased cost-efficiency of earth-based low-tech solutions in comparison with conventional constructions relying on mechanical ventilation.