This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano
Elementerre is a Senegalese company founded with the mission of revolutionising the construction sector using sustainable, locally sourced materials. Established in 2010, just a few kilometres from the city of Mbour, the company has made rammed earth its primary material, offering it as an ecological and long-lasting alternative to conventional building materials.
Another material widely used in the company’s products, such as bricks and insulating panels, is bulrush, or cattail, a monocotyledonous plant from the Typhaceae family. It grows naturally along riverbanks and in wetland areas with stagnant water, such as marshes.
Using compressed earth blocks, produced by mixing local soil with a small quantity of natural stabilisers, Elementerre creates building materials with a low environmental impact. Rammed earth is a renewable, readily available material that generates zero carbon emissions during its production. It offers a compelling alternative to energy-intensive materials such as concrete, providing thermal and acoustic insulation that reduces energy consumption for cooling, while also ensuring durability and strength. Thanks to the compression process, the blocks form solid structures that are resistant to erosion.
Elementerre does more than develop innovative materials; it brings change directly into local communities. Among its most notable projects are the construction of secondary schools in Nioro and Gossas, in Senegal, proof that rammed earth is well suited to both rural and urban settings.
As one of the winners of Built by Nature, an initiative by the Laudes Foundation that rewards innovative practices and promotes the industrial scalability of biobased materials, the Senegalese company is championing local self-sufficiency and a transition towards construction that integrates harmoniously with the environment.
Name:
Elementerre
Website:
Sector:
Circular construction
Plus:
Locally developed materials, production chain, and applications
Features:
Use of clay and bulrush to produce load-bearing bricks and insulating panels
Cover: Envato image