#biomason

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“Degrees are benchmark’s in one’s career but should not become obstacles to academic inquiry.” —Ginger Kroger Dosier, founder and CEO of bioMASON

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BioBased Tiles: Bacteria Used to Grow Strong and Sustainable Cement Alternative | Designs & Ideas on Dornob

Traditional cement production accounts for 8 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, but the world isn’t exactly going to stop using concrete anytime soon. What’s the solution? A greener replacement. BioBased tiles might be just the thing we need, offering the strength and durability of

“ The project combines StoneCycling’s expertise in construction waste mitigation with Biomason’s innovative biocement, a binder that produces a material made by bacteria and sand. Combined with StoneCycling’s recaptured mineral waste, the biocement becomes a tile that’s three times stronger and 20 percent lighter than typical concrete masonry while maintaining a near-zero carbon footprint. And while conventional cement takes 28 days to fully cure, precast modules of BioBased tile cure in just 72 hours”

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Bioedilizia: ecco un ecomattone che si ispira al corallo Non è la prima volta che affronto tematiche legate a dare una svolta ecologica ed energicamente efficiente di un simbolo, oltre che il tassello elementare delle costruzioni come il mattone (

[thoughtfulcynic-blog]

(via bioMASON - Growing Bricks Overview on Vimeo)

BioMason grows bricks using a technique similar to the growth of coral reefs. Considering that traditional bricks have to be fired for 3-5 days, creating 800 million tons of carbon emissions every year (!!) (that's about 40% of global emissions). Changing building codes over to the mandatory use of BioMason bricks seems logical. Not only do the bricks "grow" themselves over the course of three days, but they are able to absorb pollution, making them an active and positive force in our attempts to contend with climate change.

BioMason is currently scaling their operation.

https://vimeo.com/81609842

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<Video BioMason >                                    <CEO & Founder>

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Eco bricks 1: Made with bacteria

Researcher Grows Durable "Bio Bricks" From Sand, Bacteria, and Urea

by Yuka Yoneda, 05/12/10

Photos by Siddharth Siva

Assistant architecture professor Ginger Krieg Dosier recently unveiled a new breed of biologically “grown” bricks that are durable, sustainably manufactured, and easily produced from readily available materials. Called “Better Bricks,” the building material can be “grown” from sand, common bacteria, calcium chloride, and urea (yes, the stuff in your pee) instead of being baked, which consumes a ton of energy. The concept, which recently won Metropolis Mag‘s 2010 Next Generation design competition, may seem simple, but it has the potential to have a global impact when you consider that producing the 1.23 trillion bricks manufactured per year right now creates more pollution than all the airplanes in the world!

Better Bricks were conceived by Ginger Krieg Dosier, an assistant architecture professor, in a lab at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, as a solution to the enormous environmental impact of producing all of the bricks the world needs each year. “We’re running out of all of our energy sources,” said Dosier in a March phone interview. “Four hundred trees are burned to make 25,000 bricks. It’s a consumption issue, and honestly, it’s starting to scare me.”

The process behind the innovative new brick is known as microbial-induced calcite precipitation, or MICP, and utilizes microbes on sand to “glue” the grains together using a chain of chemical reactions. And the end product is fairly strong – according to Metropolis Mag, it resembles sandstone but can be as strong as fired-clay brick or even marble depending on how it is made.

Congratulations to Ms. Dosier and the Better Brick. When it comes to designing a solution that may seem basic and small but has a far-reaching positive global impact, this brick definitely ticks all of the boxes. To put the numbers into perspective, if the Better Brick replaced each new brick on Earth, it would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by at least 800 million tons a year!

+ Metropolis Mag 2010 Next Generation Design Competition

Photos by Siddharth Siva

Carbon-Free, Biologically-Grown Bricks Win Green Business Competition

By Jeff Spross on September 17, 2013

"Carbon-Free, Biologically-Grown Bricks Win Green Business Competition"

One of bioMASON’s biobricks.

CREDIT: bioMASON

A British competition chaired by environmentalist investor Richard Branson awarded $669,000 to an American start-up that’s developed an organic, carbon-free process to make bricks. The London-based Postcode Lottery Green Challenge gives an annual award to the best green business idea, and this year’s first-place winner was the firm bioMASON and its founder and CEO, Ginger Krieg Dosier, an architect turned biotechnology entrepreneur.

Through a process that Dosier compares to the way marine life constructs coral or sea shells, bioMASON uses bacteria to form sand into a crystalline structure that can serve as bricks or a cement-like construction material. The process occurs in a setting similar to a greenhouse, and its only inputs are the bacteria and its food, sand, nitrogen, calcium, and water. As a bonus, the irrigation system for the bacteria is even recycled in a closed-loop set-up, meaning bioMASON’s business model wastes little water.

Right now, bioMASON is focused on providing an alternative to the traditional bricks used in the developing world. Those are usually made by forming clay, sand, and water into the shape, and then firing the brick at 2,000 degrees for three to five days — obviously a process that’s heavy on the energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. According to Dosier’s presentation, 1.23 trillion such bricks are made worldwide each year, for a total carbon footprint of around 800 million tons — greater than that of the global airline industry. And along with the greenhouse gas problem, there’s also the problem of resource consumption: Dosier cites William McDonough’s documentary on human waste production, “Waste Equals Food,” which concluded that if traditional brick-making is used, rural China’s current need for 200 million new homes would chew up 25 percent of the top layer of agricultural land for the clay, and consume over half the country’s coal reserves for the energy to fire them.

If bioMASON or technologies like it are able to make headway in the developed world as an alternative for cement, that could also yield substantial dividends in terms of fighting climate change. Cement production emits a lot of carbon dioxide on a pound-for-pound basis, both through power consumption and the chemical processes involved. The cement industry has apparently made someheadway in cutting the carbon-intensity of its production process, and the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), an industry group, claims it’s cut carbon dioxide emissions from 400 metric tons for 500 metric tons of cement in 1990 to a bit over 500 metric tons of CO2 for a bit over 800 metric tons of cement in 2010.

Unfortunately, CSI’s numbers only cover a fraction of the global industry, and does not include China — a huge part of global cement production — and other large portions of the developing world. And world cement production reached over3 billion metric tons in 2011 — which suggests that whatever progress is being made in terms of reduced carbon-intensity is being undone by sure volume.

Award-Winning Biomason Grows Bricks from Sand and Bacteria to Reduce CO2 Emissions | Inhabitat

by Morgana Matus, 09/16/13

It takes an enormous amount of energy and resources to produce simple building materials such as concrete, bricks, and asphalt – however Ginger Krieg Dosier has developed a low-impact way to simply grow building blocks instead! Her award-winning company Biomason recently received 500,000 EUR from the 2013 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge to continue the groundbreaking work of producing bricks from sand and bacteria.

Easily able to fit in the human hand, modular, and strong, bricks are used in over 80 percent of global construction. According to Dosier and the Carbon War Room, 1.23 trillion bricks are created annually worldwide. It is estimated the fabrication of bricks emit over 800,000,000 tons of CO2 each year.

Dosier starts with sand as a substrate for her bricks due to its great natural abundance. Next, a liquid cement is prepared that includes bacteria to provide an environment for crystals to form, a nitrogen source, food for the bacteria, a calcium source, and water. The solution is placed over a bed of sand in a mold and repeatedly added over five days until a solid material has formed. Once the food and water source run out, the bacteria die. The irrigation solution is then fully recycled in a closed loop system to save water resources and recapture a byproduct of the bacteria as a natural fertilizer.

Currently, Dosier is working with teams in the US and UAE to scale up her process. They have found that the methods for growing bricks are similar to cultivating plants in greenhouses. In addition to the 2013 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge award, Biomason was the recipient of Metropolis magazine’s $10,000 Next Generation Design award in 2010.

+ Biomason

Via Co.Exist

Images via Siddharth Siva

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Cherokee-McDonough Challenge Announces Class of 2013

(Raleigh) - July 23, 2013 – The Cherokee-McDonough Challenge, an accelerator designed to identify, fund and develop high impact environmental startups, has selected bioMASON,HomeWellness and Platinix for its 2013 class. This year’s ventures make sustainable building materials, increase residential energy efficiency and aim to substantially reduce the cost to produce hydrogen, a clean energy fuel.

bioMASON, based in Research Triangle Park, uses microorganisms to grow bio-cement based construction materials. The company’s proprietary manufacturing processes and materials allow it to deliver construction materials with very low embodied energy, which can be produced on-site from locally available aggregate. The strength and durability properties of bioMASON’s products are comparable to traditional masonry products.

HomeWellness, based in Raleigh, helps corporations offset carbon emissions by providing their employees a web-based platform that enables users to assess their home’s energy efficiency, decide upon energy-efficient upgrades, select and manage contractors and take advantage of financing, tax credits and other incentives.

Platinix, based in Raleigh and incubated out of North Carolina State University, has developed an efficient and viable alternative to platinum as a catalyst for use in hydrogen production. Platinix’s catalyst can be produced at a fraction of the cost of platinum and could enable hydrogen to become a cost-effective fuel source. A hydrogen-based energy economy means affordable, abundant clean energy.

“There is no doubt that entrepreneurship is a hot topic these days,” says, JT Vaughn, the Challenge Director. “But converting good ideas into great businesses is no small task. And entrepreneurs should not have to do it alone. The Challenge and its network of experienced advisors and mentors share lessons learned with these visionary founders in order to make the process of launching a company easier and more effective.”

Now in its third year, the Cherokee-McDonough Challenge provides each venture with:

$20,000 in seed funding

free office space for three months in Raleigh, NC, (a focal point in the renowned Research Triangle)

assistance with incorporation, accounting, and tax-compliance set-up

hands-on mentoring from Cherokee’s professionals, William McDonough, an advisory committee of experienced entrepreneurs and investors, and a communications coach

an opportunity to present to other investors and the public

Cherokee-McDonough Challenge portfolio companies should finish the summer with a working prototype, a refined and vetted environmental strategy, a thoughtful intellectual property strategy, investor-ready fundraising documents with accompanied pro-forma, a stronger network of investors and mentors, a polished pitch and a clear path to the next technical or financial milestone.

Chris Wedding, Cherokee’s Director of R&D and Sustainability, says, “For years, Cherokee has experimented with best practices for efficiently creating or finding and then supporting the most promising new environmental business ideas. The Challenge is a great platform for doing this.”

For more information, visit http://www.cherokeechallenge.com or email JT Vaughn [email protected].

About Cherokee The Challenge is sponsored by Cherokee, an environmentally focused investment company. Cherokee has raised over $2 billion in private equity funds focused on brownfield remediation and, separately, founded a number of environmental businesses and invested in over 80 startups and venture funds in the past 28 years. Through the Challenge, Cherokee hopes to lend experience and expertise to other environmental entrepreneurs.

About William McDonough William McDonough is a globally recognized leader in sustainable development. A pioneer architect of the green building movement, McDonough's interests and influence range widely, and he works at scales from the global to the molecular. Time magazine recognized him in 1999 as a "Hero for the Planet," stating that "his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that-in demonstrable and practical ways-is changing the design of the world." In 1996, McDonough received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, the nation's highest environmental honor, and in 2003 he earned the first U.S. EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for his work with Shaw Industries, the carpet division of Berkshire Hathaway. In 2004, he received the National Design Award for exemplary achievement in the field of environmental design. McDonough advises major enterprises including commercial and governmental leaders worldwide through McDonough Advisors. McDonough also co-founded Make It Right (2006) with Brad Pitt to bring affordable, Cradle to Cradle-inspired homes to the New Orleans Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina. He is co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (2002) and The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability -- Designing for Abundance (2013)