Green Bricks

I read an interesting article on Springwise today about a company that has found a way to make a stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly brick. EcoFaeBrick was trying to solve a waste issue in Indonesian farmland, and they concieved the idea of creating a brick out of cow dung. Interestingly enough, the dung bricks have no visible (or smell) difference from regular bricks, and are much lighter. Avoiding the use of clay and making use of waste as a building material makes a lot of sense, especially in poorer countries where building supplies are tough to come by.

Mark LaLiberte, a well known building scientist, talked to our class last week about ecological design in housing. I wonder if these cow dung bricks will take hold in the United States, gaining support from influentials like Laliberte. Building materials seem to be a no-brainer place to start to search for greener solutions, but given the complex systems and materials required to construct a “green” home, it may be inaccessible to poorer families. Its innovations like these cow dung bricks that have to potential to reach critical mass in the population.

Source: http://springwise.com/eco_sustainability/ecofaebrick/