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Made from municipal waste from Ghent
Under the name “Gent Waste Brick for DING”, three architectural offices are working together to produce lime-hardened and low-carbon bricks brick made from 63% recycled municipal waste in the city of Ghent for the construction of the new wing of the Design Museum in Ghent (DING). Belgium.
The temporary partnership between TRANS architectureuur | stedenbouw from Ghent, Carmody Groarke from London and RE-ST architectenvennootschap from Antwerp transform the Belgian city’s growing discarded objects into eco-friendly blocks that will form the museum’s extension.
The pale colored brick and white mortar are made from local municipal waste streams, including crushed concrete and white glass with lime as the primary binder. All composite materials have been carefully chosen to create a white tone that follows the facade of the building.
The new exterior has been designed to refer to the bright public buildings in Ghent. The waste is carefully filtered and sorted at a production center in Ghent before being pressed into the desired shape and size.
Images courtesy of Carmody Groarke | Photos by Cinzia Romanin & Thomas Noceto
Gent Waste Brick for DING
The design team say that Gent Waste Brick for DING is hardened, not fired, which helps the end result gain strength through carbonization. “The hydraulic lime sequesters CO2 from the atmosphere as the bricks harden and sequesters carbon for the life of the building.” Carmody Groarke team writes.
The design team worked closely to specify a material composition that was low in carbon and offered the strength and resilience required for use in external conditions. The lime-hardened bricks are made on a brownfield site in Ghent using a simple production process that could easily be replicated in other urban settings.
crushed glass
The design team ensures that there are no emissions, by-products or waste during production. The new wing of the Design Museum Gent will serve as an extension of the existing buildings, housing galleries and event spaces for the museum’s cultural programs and visitor engagement. The museum writes that if all goes well, the new wing could be unveiled by the end of 2023.
The project was funded by a generous grant from Circular Flanders and sogent on behalf of the City of Ghent and researched in collaboration with Design Museum Gent, sogent, Carmody Groarke, BC Materials, Local Works Studio and TRANS Architects.
form the bricks
gent waste bricks for DING
The Design Museum in Ghent (DING) is temporarily closed to make room for the new wing
