Our Systems and Products:
Earth and Reed Win
Earth and Reed, a Natural Building Technologies’ key distributor, has received an award marking the company’s dedication to supplying ecological building products and its sustainable approach to business.

Read more here.
St Piran use Diffutherm
An innovative, eco-friendly development by St Piran Homes in Camborne.

Read more..

ThermoPlan Ziegel Benefits

ThermoPlan Ziegel blocks

Fundamentally, ThermoPlan Ziegel is a honeycomb clay building block. It is faster and simpler to build with, will out perform other masonry systems and yet offers similar built costs. ThermoPlan (known as Ziegel on the continent) is proven over hundreds of years and many thousands of buildings.

  • Very simple, quick and robust construction method. Typically a ThermoPlan Ziegel build is 3 or 4 times as fast as other masonry systems - with less potential for problems.
  • Excellent thermal insulation -  good U-Values and very low psi (Y) Values allow ThermoPlan Ziegel to perform incredibly well, with no other insulation required.
  • Good over heating control due to thermal mass of block.
  • Simple route to good, long-lasting airtightness.
  • Breathing construction - improving indoor air quality.
  • Full system including all external and internal blocks, lintels, mortars, plasters, renders, fixings etc
  • Sustainable, achieving BREEAM Green Guide A rating
  • MMC approved system

At NBT we offer full support from the start of your project - offering design and specification advice to maximise the use of the system. We then assist the contracting and QS process - ensuring accurate costs and ordering. Finally we can offer a number of approved contractors, or train any contractor to a suitable (approved) standard. All this is part of the NBT service.

ThermoPlan Ziegel Case Studies
ThermoPlan Ziegel house ThermoPlan Ziegel is known as'Ziegel' (meaning'Block') in Germany - where around 40% of buildings use this or similar systems.
Currently ThermoPlan Ziegel is being used on schools and homes under construction in the UK.
Support and Downloads
ThermoPlan Ziegel Downloads

Follow this link to download our technical manuals, design and specification manuals, interstitial and U-Value calculations, specifications and contractor information.

Warranties and Certification

These systems are fully certified and warrantable for use in the UK, and have been used across the UK from the Orkneys to Sheerness, in houses, schools and offices. They are the most common type of building system in Germany, and are also the main systems used for super insulated housing such as Passiv Haus. Currently awaiting final BBA approval, the system already boasts LANTAC certification and warranties from a number of sources.

ThermoPlan Ziegel Options

ThermoPlan Ziegel can be finished externally in a variety of ways - standard ThermoPlan Ziegel is finished with render, but you can also Clad (in stone, brick, timber, terracotta or metal). ThermoPlan Ziegel can also be combined with Pavatex woodfibre boards, and again finished in a clad or render finish. Click on the links below for some performance and build-up information.


NBT ThermoPlan ZiegelŪ -
A thin bed, solid, fired clay insulated loadbearing system with render finish.

NBT ThermoPlan ZiegelŪ Clad- A thin bed, solid, fired clay insulated loadbearing system with cladding externally (stone, brick, timber, terracotta, metal etc)

NBT ThermoPlan ZiegelŪ Plus- A thin bed, solid, fired clay insulated loadbearing system with additional external woodfibre insulation with render finish, for enhanced u values or as infill in concrete frame buildings.

NBT ThermoPlan ZiegelŪ Clad Plus - A thin bed, solid, fired clay insulated loadbearing system with additional external woodfibre insulation with cladding externally, for enhanced u-values or as infill in concrete frame buildings.

Technical Support

For new projects, please contact your local NBT representative, who can offer initial advise and information.

Please do visit our downloads page for more information, however you can also download the ThermoPlan Ziegel Technical Manual (pdf) here.