In Belgium, the building blocks for a new space have been made with yesterday’s construction material.

The white brick annex at the newly reopened Design Museum Gent, in Gent, Belgium, is made from locally sourced materials through a process that repurposes construction waste for less energy than firing a typical brick.

The Gent Waste Brick, developed by the Brussels-based construction company BC Materials, is made from 63% recycled municipal waste—mostly crushed concrete and construction glass—from the city of Gent.

[Photo: Farah Fervel]

That mix is combined with lime, sand, and other mineral ingredients to form the bricks. Instead of being fired in a kiln, they are pressed.…