We research, develop and certify sustainable, innovative, robust construction systems which dramatically lower embodied emissions, reduce construction waste and resource consumption, create low-tech, gender-neutral work opportunities and restore natural ecosystems in the process.
Alien Invasive Biomass to Housing through Co-Design in South Africa
Elandskloof Valley and Cape Town – Sept 2024
Trading awareness – supporting informal trading within the community of Imizamo Yethu in Cape Town
Cape Town / Milano – Feb 2024
Cape Town, South Africa – 2020
Invasive alien plants as an alternative resource for concrete production
Cape Town, ETH Zurich - Switzerland – 2020
The “Tree House” Eco-Lodge – a low-carbon demonstrator model
Kruger National Park, South Africa – 2020
Malawi, Venice, South Africa – 2021
Developing low-cement binders with invasive wood chip aggregate
South Africa – 2019
The “Click Brick” – BRG ETH Zurich, South Africa
Zurich, Cape Town – 2021
Cape Town, Venice, Zurich – 2020
Tags
Affordable housing
alternative aggregates
awards
bio-based
Block Research Group
carbon pools
carbon sequestration
circular design
circular economy
climate adaptation
construction
Construction industry
Construction waste
decarbonisation strategies
earth-based
ETH Zurich
European Cultural Centre (ECC)
fireproof
gang violence
housing
illegal sand mining
Innovation
job creation
Life cycle assessment
low-skilled
mafias in construction
Material flow analysis
Optimised geometry-based design
organised crime
organised crime in construction
Policy decisions
Rapid urbanisation
regenerative
Research and development
Resource consumption
resource depletion
Robust building systems
sand wars
sustainable cities
Sustainable design
sustainable housing
Terra Fibra Award
the need for nonCrete
unsustainable
Venice Biennale 2021
"Sustainability is a value word
and like all value words – freedom, fairness, beauty, justice it is subjective,
nearly impossible to define, but possible to sense (or to sense its absence),
and vitally important.”
- Donella Meadows