A team at Washington State University developed a building system made from low-value construction waste.

Drywall, also known as gypsum board or sheetrock, is a ubiquitous interior wall covering is cost-effective but a very wasteful material to install. It also makes up about half of unrecycled construction waste. When the material is put into landfills, soil bacteria decompose the gypsum and produce a noxious gas.

The blocks developed by the team of Washington State University consists of 80 per cent drywall waste and a binder made from industrial by-products. This is a cheaper way to recycle gypsum than other recycling initiatives. The bricks are waterproof and lighter than earth blocks, bricks or concrete blocks. They are also superior for insulation

The researchers are partnering with local contractors to het the waste, and architecture students are using a press to build the blocks, which look like masonry blocks.

The bricks won the Architect Magazine’s 2019 R+D Awards.

Photos: Taiji Miyasaka, David Drake, and Zaky Ramadhan via Architect Magazine