The house that maps built

14 November 2008, 9:40am

London-based architects, Amenity Space, have received international praise for their unique recycled building blocks made entirely out of disused maps.

The Map Compression Block – which stacks Ordnance Survey maps on top of each other to create a heat efficient and strong building brick – was honoured at the San Francisco Urban Re:Vision Awards.

The award recognised the project’s innovative approach to producing an eco-friendly and sustainable building material.

Nicky Kirk, a Director at Amenity Space, comments: “We are truly delighted to win this award, especially given the quality of the other entries.

“The project began when we started talking to Ordnance Survey about a programme for recycling discarded maps; the building block idea really grew from there. The bricks we’ve created not only have greater density than a 250-mm thick concrete block but also have similar strength.”

The project works by drilling holes through the centre of each map, which is then placed over a series of steel rods fixed to a timber rail. The sides are then clad with a fire and waterproof layer and the maps compressed until they make up a solid panel.

Nicky continues. “At the moment, 12,000 maps are sitting in our offices and Ordnance Survey is able to offer us a reliable source. With people keen to look at environmentally friendly building processes, the map block could represent a sustainable solution.”

Gill Blake, from Ordnance Survey’s marketing department, comments: “Maps are incredibly versatile, but we never expected someone to turn them into building blocks! This is a great example of recycling in action, and I’d like to congratulate the Amenity Space team for having their work recognised with this award.

“I look forward to one day visiting the first map-made building!”

www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

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