University of East London staff and students have created a school building in India using Sugarcrete, a biomaterial construction block made from sugarcane waste. Located in Noida’s Panchsheel Balak Inter College, the classroom is the first structure built using this low-carbon material, developed in 2023 by the University of East London.
Sugarcrete is made from bagasse, a fibrous residue from sugarcane production, mixed with mineral binders and shaped into interlocking blocks. This sustainable material has a carbon footprint six times smaller than conventional fired clay bricks. The classroom’s walls are built using Sugarcrete blocks, secured with lime mortar, and feature a green-painted steel structure supporting an angular roof with a clerestory window. Designed to be acoustically insulated and thermally comfortable in the hot Indian climate, the school can offer a conducive learning atmosphere.
“The rooflights allow natural north light and the potential for high-level ventilation,” said Alan Chandler, associate of the UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute. Armor Gutierrez Rivas, UEL senior lecturer, added, “Sugarcrete is more than a material โ it’s a system for low-carbon, inclusive development.”
Image Courtesy: Dezeen
