Eco-friendly house from mining waste

Dubbed the Sustaintable House, the 45 m2 residential building is part of a unique pilot program dedicated to sustainable mining-related concepts.

Sustaintable House - a house made of waste
“The pilot project is part of Gerdau Germinar's environmental education program, which introduces to the public new concepts of sustainability applied to the mining industry and the circular economy concept in housing, one of Gerdau's social investment areas,” says architect Gustavo Penna.

The Sustaintable House is built using building materials from recycled mining waste that were developed by Gerdau in collaboration with the Department of Mining Engineering at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The teams have successfully created manufacturing processes that turn mining waste into building materials such as bricks, floors, and iron ore mortar.

The final design of Sustentable House is a simple yet modern floor plan with open spaces, floor-to-ceiling glass wall, master bedroom, second twin bedroom, central bathroom, laundry room, and modern kitchen with adjoining living area that opens out onto the surrounding gardens. The interior design boasts a strong industrial design: brickwork and industrial cables are everywhere.

The floor plan and arrangement of windows throughout the house provide optimal airflow, while the exterior façade and brickwork provide significant shade during the day. In addition, the house was built to use solar and wind power systems, solar water heating, rainwater harvesting, bioregenerators and composting tanks.

The Sustentable House will be used as a case study at Gerdau Germinar Biocenter, serving as a teaching tool and example of how the mining industry can contribute to sustainable technology and green building.

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