A Brick for Venice
A research project to design, prototype and test a new low-carbon brick, made using the silt that is dredged from the Venice canals.
Local Works Studio were asked to develop a new brick by the architects Urban Radicals and the Structural Engineers AKT II. The brick was used to build a temporary Pavillon as part of the European Cultural Centre’s ‘Time Space Existence’ programme during the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale.
The canals of Venice are frequently dredged to remove large quantities of silt that build-up over time. This material has been used to form a new, uninhabited island in the Venice lagoon – Isola delle Tresse.
Silt material was collected from the island, analysed, mixed with other local waste aggregates and prototyped as a new brick. The bricks were made using a hydraulic press, and were not fired in a kiln.
Our material design and making techniques were replicated by brick-makers in Venice to fabricate the bricks for the Pavilion, designed by Urban Radicals and AKT II.
Architects: Urban Radicals
Material design, prototyping and testing: Local Works Studio
Structural Engineer: AKT II
Client: European Cultural Centre, Tyrens foundation
Featured in: Archdaily, Design Museum (How to Build a Low-Carbon Home exhibition July 2023), Time Space Existence 2023, Domus, Monocle, Dezeen Sustainability award Longlist 2023.