Earthen housing is the most widespread in the world, particularly in hot and low-income countries. Marc grew up in Burkina Faso, where, as a young man, he worked as a mason. At the time, the most common brick-making process involved roughly shaping bricks from clay and earth, then firing them. However, kiln firing had a disastrous impact on the local environment. "They would cut down 10 or even 20 trees to bake enough bricks for five houses.” Traditional earth and straw bricks (“banco”) are weak and easily damaged by water. At the BMF company, a different approach is used. Two men carrying shovels quickly mix sieved earth with sand and cement. Water is added, and the mixture is shoveled into a steel machine. A third man closes the heavy metal lid and pulls a large lever. Finally, a perfectly rectangular brick appears when he releases the button. After drying, the compressed bricks will be sold for modern and eco-friendly housing construction in Burkina Faso.
Commissioned by Briqueterie Moderne du Faso (BMF), Burkina Faso
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