Holcim teams with Elemental to use biochar for housing material

In Switzerland, 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.