Da scarti a materiali rice-based: l'esperienza di Ricehouse tra architettura e design

Agri-food waste represents a critical environmental challenge, due to the
huge annual account and the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda with SDG no. 12 advocates for sustainable
practices to manage and reuse this kind of waste.
In the case of rice cultivation, a large quantity of by-products
are generated from its supply chain, such as straw, husk and bran,
which are rich in silica and have good thermos-hygrometric and mechanical
properties. Despite this, they are not valorised.
Since 2016, the company called Ricehouse has experimented and started
the production of innovative and ‘new’ rice-based building materials, using
them for diff erent architectural and design projects.
The practices adopted by Ricehouse are characterised by a systemic and
collaborative approach involving local stakeholders, embracing principles
of circular and bioregional economies.
This model seems to be a signifi cant case study, potentially replicable within
other agri-food sectors, fostering the development of resilient and sustainable
local economies.
In fact, Ricehouse exemplifi es how multidisciplinary design and systemic
innovation can catalyse virtuous transformations toward a real ecological
transition, eff ectively integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
This paper presents an exploration of the potential for valorising by-products
from the Italian rice production supply chain, focusing specifi cally on
the case of Ricehouse.