Self-financing houses combat homelessness and carbon emissions

Modular architecture that is net positive

Self-financing houses combat homelessness and carbon emissions

Modular architecture that is net positive

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Ecogradia Podcast

The distinguishing feature of a BillionBricks home is its large roof, made entirely of photovoltaic panels. Photo: © BillionBricks.
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A carbon-negative community of affordable homes is underway in the Philippines. Conceived by BillionBricks, the Holcim Awards Acknowledgement prize winner for Asia Pacific will welcome 125 homeless families and function simultaneously as a 2.5 megawatt solar power plant.

Last updated: September 28, 2023 Minalin, Pampanga, Philippines

By Himani Naidu, Ecogradia

One of the earliest prototypes of the BillionBricks home was built in the Math Jalgaon village (Maharashtra, India) as a proof of concept. Since 2019, it has housed a single, previously homeless, family and produced surplus solar power.

The BillionBricks’ business model sets out to address these issues by seeking private capital to underwrite vast numbers of carbon-negative communities. If the climate-tech venture’s units were to be implemented in large numbers, the power they produced could generate revenue and significantly reduce demand for fossil fuel-based energy.