Biomason Bricks

Inhabit reports: [edited]

It takes an enormous amount of energy and resources to produce simple building materials such as concrete, bricks, and asphalt – however Ginger Krieg Dosier has developed a way to grow building blocks from sand and bacteria.

Dosier starts with sand as a substrate. A liquid cement is prepared that includes bacteria to provide an environment for crystals to form, a nitrogen source, food for the bacteria, a calcium source, and water. The solution is placed over a bed of sand in a mould and repeatedly added over five days until a solid material has formed.

Once the food and water source run out, the bacteria die. The irrigation solution is then fully recycled in a closed loop system to save water resources and recapture a byproduct of the bacteria as a natural fertiliser.
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