CNN’s Innovate series tells the stories behind business ideas, technological developments, and entrepreneurial breakthroughs reshaping our world.
Noncrete is a Cape Town-based company pioneering safer, stronger, and more sustainable carbon-negative building systems. Founders Stephen Lamb and Andrew Lord are at the forefront of decarbonising construction through biomass technology. Lord talks about their idea, “It becomes possible to set up factories for manufacture of building materials that are environmentally friendly, lead to rehabilitation of natural ecosystems, and reduce carbon footprint.”
Their core mission is to combat climate change, address the housing crisis, and reduce unemployment by developing robust, low-carbon building systems that actively sequester carbon within the built environment. Lord tells CNN, “I think when looking at solutions, it comes back to this notion of the circular economy. So, the cornerstone of that is the rehabilitation of the environment and flowing from that is the employment provided by the establishment of brick making factories. So, then that leads, to an upgrading of areas, and then ultimately all of that, these materials are infinitely recyclable so that it just becomes this endless loop.”
Noncrete’s innovative yet simple formula starts with invasive plants and trees that need removal. They chip these into a biomass base and add considerably less cement and water to create a lighter, locally sourced building block. Lamb explains, “It’s fire-resistant in terms of comparison with conventional bricks. It’s as strong. And it consists mainly of massive invasive species, which has been advantageous for a number of reasons.”
The founders hope their first prototype, a children’s daycare centre, can become a model for community housing around the world. They believe that the true test of its scalability will be that it can be done by anyone, anywhere. Maureen Visagie, deputy chairperson at the Elandskloof Community Forum, tells CNN, “We abandoned the idea of ‘men’s jobs’ a long time ago. Now, we believe any job a man can do, a woman can do too. It really gives a woman huge confidence knowing she is contributing meaningfully to this work.” Lamb adds, “We’d like to see the bricks compete with conventional bricks, to create low-tech, labour intensive, decentralised work opportunities that are, not just for men, but also gender neutral, and make economic sense.”
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