Durham University spinout Low Carbon Materials’ ACLA® biochar-mineral aggregate features in a net zero concrete mix at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The innovative product is used throughout the Silver medal-winning Asthma + Lung UK Breathing Space Garden.
Photo credit: Rebekah Kennington
The concrete, developed by Getjar with Tarmac, combines oyster shells, ACLA®, and calcined clay. Tarmac precast the slabs, benches and canopy structure at its Cambridge plant before installation at the show. After Chelsea, the garden will move to its permanent home at Breathing Space in Rotherham. There it will support lung rehabilitation and patient wellbeing.
AKT Structural Engineers engineered the garden’s central platform using the net zero concrete. The mix is a world-first and a potential game-changer for the landscape and construction industries.
Photo credit: Rebekah Kennington
Low Carbon Materials
Low Carbon Materials is a spinout company from Durham University. Based in County Durham, the company is developing carbon‑negative additives for concrete. This addresses one of the built environment’s most significant sources of global emissions. Its flagship technology, ACLA®, is designed to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete mixes without compromising performance – enabling lower‑carbon construction at scale.
Through Northern Accelerator, the team has received tailored support to help translate cutting‑edge materials science into a commercial proposition with real‑world impact.
This has included Future Founders training and Executives into Business support, helping the journey from laboratory innovation to deployment in live construction projects.
About ACLA®
ACLA® is a carbon-negative biochar-mineral aggregate that permanently locks carbon into construction materials. Low Carbon Materials is the UK’s biggest user of biochar in construction.
To date ACLA® has mainly been used to decarbonise asphalt across the UK and is now being rolled out into concrete. The concrete market dwarfs asphalt and is in urgent need of solutions to reach net zero. ACLA® can fully decarbonise concrete, enabling net zero mixes. ACLA® has featured in over 40 projects across the UK, and the Breathing Space Garden is the most beautiful to date.
Garden design: Angus Thompson Design
Garden Build: Dan Flynn.
