The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick, has been rebuilt using nearly 100% recycled construction waste bricks.
The new venue involves low carbon materials, a natural ventilation chimney and a design approach which focuses on reducing environmental impact.
The bricks, developed by Kenoteq, use recycled construction and demolition materials which would otherwise end up in landfill – without the need for firing, unlike traditional clay bricks – and produces ~95% less carbon emissions.
Dr Sam Chapman, co-founder and executive director of Kenoteq, said: “For the construction industry, reducing embodied carbon has become a major priority. The challenge is finding products that deliver meaningful environmental benefits while meeting the performance standards expected on commercial projects.”
The construction industry largely struggles with ‘embodied carbon’, which can account for more than 50% of a building’s total CO2 footprint.
By including this challenge in design rather than solely focusing on renewable energy generation and storage, a building can significantly reduce its carbon emissions.
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