Holcim is partnering with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alejandro Aravena and his firm ELEMENTAL to present a new biochar technology that transforms buildings into carbon sinks.
Presented in Venice during the 2025 Architecture Biennale, the technology is applied for the first time in a full-scale Basic Services Unit housing prototype. The prototype follows the principle of incremental design, entailing fast and efficient construction through the provision of essential housing components, while empowering people to finish building their home themselves. Holcim’s net-zero biochar concrete mix also incorporates circularity, using 100% recycled aggregates.
Miljan Gutovic, Holcim CEO: “Holcim is the leading partner for sustainable construction, and we work with stakeholders across the value chain to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers. Through our partnership with Alejandro Aravena and the ELEMENTAL team, we have demonstrated how Holcim’s new carbon sink technology can shape the future of construction.”
Alejandro Aravena, Founder, ELEMENTAL: “In Venice, we are bringing incremental housing to its core: a structural sanitation unit using precast panels takes care of the basic needs of inhabitation. Holcim’s new decarbonisation technology allows us to address the scale and speed of the housing crisis' demand without putting a strain on the environment.”
At the end of life, organic matter releases CO2; by converting it into a charcoal-like material called biochar, the CO2 that would have been released is permanently sequestered. When added to low-carbon formulations of cement, mortar or concrete, it further reduces their CO2 footprint, with no compromise in performance. One kilogram of biochar prevents the release of up to three kilograms of CO2. This carbon sink technology broadens Holcim’s range of innovative solutions, from its sustainable building materials ECOPact and ECOPlanet, to its circular technology ECOCycle®.
Holcim and ELEMENTAL’s project will be showcased from May 7 to November 23, 2025 as part of the Time Space Existence exhibition, organised by the European Cultural Centre in Venice.
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