Heidi Boulanger – University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Rescripting Mud: a study on 21st-century Brick(works)

Brick-making is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous construction methods on earth. The brick has been in circulation for at least 9000 years, and has been absorbed as a vernacular building material in countless cultures, from Africa to the Middle East, Europe to South America. Despite its undeniably simple manufacturing process (“mix mud, water and bake”), the inherent craft of brick-making and masonry construction allows for virtually endless possibilities in construction – allowing the brick to become a literal building block for cultural expression. Bricks are a “global” construction material (using universal sizes and construction methods) yet remain definitively “local” (using local clays, bonds and skills and ageing gracefully in every climate). It is also a building material that can be used vastly different socio-economic conditions, acting as a mediator between affluent and disadvantaged communities.

One could argue that the longevity and ubiquity of the brick alone should define it as one of the most sustainable construction materials on earth. However, contemporary critics are questioning its sustainability by citing high-embodied energy, labor-intensive construction, design restrictions and negative environmental impacts. Rapid advances in “modern” construction methods such as polymers, pre-fabrication and 3-d printing is placing further pressure on relevance of the brick.

Sustainability in building is rapidly gaining significance in the Middle East Africa region – particularly among female professionals and young graduates in architecture and engineering. This was clearly seen at the prize-handover ceremony for the regional Holcim Awards in Nairobi, Kenya. The majority of the 11 prize-winning projects dealt with education and the contemporary promotion of traditional manual skills.

The project “Brick-Works” is based on a critique of unsustainable practices in the production of red bricks and proposes instead a set of principles to improve the sustainable performance of the brick-making industry. Going beyond technical exigencies, the proposal envisions brick-making as a catalyst of community-building – as demonstrated in the particular case of the apartheid township of Soshanguve in South Africa. The community currently relies on informal trade and subsistence farming to survive, and lacks the necessary infrastructure as well as skills for further development. By introducing a single kiln to this rural context, a culture of brick-making is incrementally established over time. As the community grows, socio-economic conditions gradually improve and new urban nodes are formed around the production facility.

The jury greatly appreciated the project’s bold critical as well as visionary stance and particularly the notion of using local construction industries to stimulate community-building at the local level. The author’s vision of “brick-works” as a living structure – an ensemble of buildings which expands and matures with the township by literally constructing both itself and its surrounding context – is a true contribution to the discourse on sustainable construction. Rather than perceiving the construction material industry as an abstract entity removed from daily life, the project promotes the integration of production facilities as places for gathering, working, building, learning, and living.

People + Prosperity - A living ‘building’ which grows and matures with its community

Brickworks proposes a sensitive, bottom-up approach to community development through sustainable industry. The building is designed to grow organically out of a spatial catalyst - a kiln - which provides an introduction to basic brickmaking and pottery skills training. The remainder of the Brickworks is subsequently constructed in phases, which encourages the community to systemically absorb the skills and knowledge required to run a complex industry. Over time, an artistic language in pottery and clay-based craft will emerge throughout the township. The proposed intervention therefore establishes a platform for economic opportunity, encourages skills training and generates urban energy, while developing a socio-cultural language centered around clay, ideal for tourism and trade.