Tree · Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
BC materials
A Brussels workers' cooperative turning excavated earth into building materials
Since 2018Works across the region
- circular construction
- cooperative
- earth building
- excavated soil
- low carbon materials
- bioregional design
BC materials is a material production cooperative in Brussels that began in October 2018 as a workers' cooperative. It takes earth dug out of city construction sites, which would otherwise be dumped, and turns it into compressed earth blocks, clay plasters and paints. The team also runs hands-on discovery days and training so builders and neighbours can learn to work with earth and fibres.
Its Léém compressed earth blocks are made largely from secondary raw materials and carry a fraction of the carbon of fired bricks or concrete blocks. Founded by Ken De Cooman, Nicolas Coeckelberghs, Laurens Bekemans and Wes Degreef, the cooperative won a 2025 Henry van de Velde Award (Design Research and Environment). Its autumn 2026 calendar includes round tables on the Productive City and Bioregional Design, Earth and Fibres Discovery Days, and a rammed earth course.
What they need
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- Excavated earth from construction sites
- Architects and builders using earth materials
- Partners on bioregional building
What they offer
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- Compressed earth blocks
- Clay plasters and paints
- Earth and fibre building workshops
- Discovery days and training