Problem addressed

Kenoteq is responding to critical challenges in the construction industry in the UK, and across much of Europe.  Kenoteq targets the critical issues of legislation-led waste reduction, the shortage in supply of construction materials, and energy efficiency.

Construction, demolition and excavation were responsible for 62% of the UK’s total waste in 2018, according to DEFRA, with vast quantities of recycled material needing new avenues. EU Legislation already requires 70% of all construction and demolition waste to be recycled, with 0% going to landfill. And the UK will be following suit through The Environment Act 2021 transferring into legislation and regulation.

The UK is the largest single brick market in Europe, with over 2.6 billion bricks used in 2019 in the UK. Over 500 million of these were imported due to a shortage in domestic supply and a huge 85% of bricks used in Scottish new builds were imported to Scotland in 2018 because of localised supply constraints. More recent events have seen further restrictions in materials supply, availability and lead times. Therefore, leading contractors and housebuilders are having to look abroad to secure brick supplies.

Furthermore, the recent energy price rises and energy availability will have on-going impact to the traditional brick manufacturers who rely on energy-intensive excavation of resources and hugely energy intensive firing of clay and concrete bricks.

Solution overview

The K-BRIQ® is a resource-efficient construction brick made from inert recycled input materials. It is suitable for applications currently met by traditional bricks and blocks in exterior and interior environments. It has comparable strength to traditional bricks and blocks and high thermal mass, and a competitive technical specification.

The K-SLIP™ is made from the same materials and offers a brickslip and tile alternative for sustainable interiors and, also for the off-site sector which favours brickslip facades which can be efficiently installed in factory conditions.

Kenoteq’s low-carbon production process does not require high temperature firing, virgin cement or high volumes of clay for its production. The K-BRIQ® has <5% the carbon footprint of a traditional clay brick and is made from 95% inert recycled content, over 90% of which comes from recycled construction and demolition waste.

The K-Briq is in its final stages of BBA certification in the UK allowing its commercial use from Spring 2023. Its Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certificate and Design Guide will also be available in early 2023, the latter specifying both traditional and lime mortars. The K-Slip, whilst suitable now within interiors, will be certified for external use by late 2023/early 2024.

The K-Briq and K-Slip are available in a range of thirteen stock colours, all made from recycled pigments. Kenoteq also offer a colour matching service and can produce bespoke options.

Kenoteq is currently working with BRE on its EPD and BBA certification.

Cost Benefit

As it launches in the UK market in 2023, with production hitting 3 million bricks this year, the K-Briq is initially positioned as a premium product in the brick facing and façade market, based on its superior sustainability credentials, appealing aesthetics and flexible design potential given the opportunity for colour-matching and bespoke colour development. With a carbon footprint less than 4% of that of a standard clay brick, the K-Briq’s use whether in full builds, elevations or features contributes significantly to a building’s carbon reduction and the use and cost of carbon offsetting. The K-Briq is a premium product, and the final price will be dependent on volumes, time frames and choice of colour palette.

Case study

BE-ST – A New Company Logo Unveiled on Low Carbon COP26 Demonstration Wall

Awaiting final certification, the K-Briq has been used in some interesting demonstration projects to date:

1.5 tonnes of construction and demolition waste is housed in the demonstration wall at Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), the pioneering built environment support organization based outside Glasgow. Built originally for the organisation’s large built environment showcase at COP26, the 28m2 wall, contains just over 28kg of embodied carbon, saving over 736kg CO2e compared to building the elevation in traditional clay bricks.

The wall also showcases the organisation’s new logo as it went through a rebrand from Construction Scotland Innovation Centre to BE-ST, and this logo is drawn out using the magenta light K-Briq against the magenta K-Briq main wall.

The wall has been a talking point for visitors to the Innovation Factory and can be viewed through registering on one of BE-ST’s Innovation Factory tours or through contacting Kenoteq.

Frogged Briqs in Vibrant Jewel Colours Make A Powerful Design and Carbon Statement in an Indian Streetfood Restaurant in Edinburgh

Frogged magenta and mustard K-Briqs make a powerful centrepiece bar front and counter in the recently opened Tuk Tuk Restaurant in Edinburgh’s south side.  The bold restaurant design by award-winning interior design house, S and Co, is reminiscent of the vibrant and colourful jewels and designs common across India and matches well with the Indian streetfood vibe of the restaurant.

As restaurant owners seek to become more sustainable across their business, they are looking to sustainable materials as well as to their food and energy systems to make these changes.

The double-briq deep counter contains over half a tonne of recycled materials, saving the construction material waste and pigment waste from landfill.  It has also offered a carbon saving of over 120KG CO2e in the counter alone by substituting the use of traditional clay bricks – or even higher if we consider the substitution of ceramic tiles or slips.

With sustainability so increasingly key in hospitality interior design, using the K-Briq helps the sector towards achieving their goals of waste reduction, higher energy efficiency and designing for longevity.

Additionally, the K-products allow spaces to adapt. Features can be deconstructed and re-used or, as they are 100% recyclable, they can be returned and recycled into new K-Briqs at their end of interior life.