A new study explores reconfigurable, sustainable construction materials that could transform how we build on this planet — and beyond.
For centuries, innovations in structural materials have prioritized strength and durability — often at a steep environmental price. Today, the construction industry accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with cement, steel, and concrete responsible for more than two-thirds of that total. As the world presses for a sustainable future, scientists are racing to reinvent the very foundations of our built environment.
Paradigm Shift in Construction
Now, researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a novel class of modular, reconfigurable, and sustainable building blocks — a new construction paradigm as well-suited for terrestrial homes as it is for extraterrestrial habitats. Their study, published in Matter, demonstrates that these innovative units, dubbed eco-voxels, can reduce carbon footprints by up to 40% compared to traditional construction materials. These units also maintain the structural performance needed for applications ranging from load-bearing walls to aircraft wings.
“We created sustainable structures using these eco-friendly building blocks, combining our knowledge of structural mechanics and mechanical design with industry-relevant manufacturing practices and environmental assessments,” said Christos Athanasiou, assistant professor at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.
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Housing Affordability Solutions
Their work offers a potential solution to the growing housing affordability crisis. As climate-driven disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods increase, homes are damaged at higher rates, and insurance costs are skyrocketing. This crisis is fueled by rising land prices and restrictive development regulations. Meanwhile, the growing demand for housing places an increasing strain on global resources and the environment. The modularity and circularity of the developed approach can effectively address these issues.
Using eco-voxels to create a load bearing structure.
The New Building Blocks
Eco-voxels — short for eco-friendly voxels, the 3D equivalent of pixels — are made from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT). PTT is a partially bio-based polymer derived from corn sugar and reinforced with recycled carbon fibers from aerospace waste (scrap material lost during the manufacturing of aerospace components). Eco-voxels can be easily assembled into large, load-bearing structures and then disassembled and reconfigured, all without generating waste. Consequently, they offer a highly adaptable, sustainable approach to construction.
The team tested eco-voxels and found they can handle the pressure that buildings usually face. They also used computer simulations to show that changing the shape of eco-voxels makes them suitable for many different building needs.
The researchers compared the eco-voxel approach to other emerging construction methods like 3D-printed concrete and cross-laminated timber (CLT), finding that eco-voxels offer significant environmental advantages. While traditional and alternative materials are often heavy and carbon-intensive, the eco-voxel wall had the lowest carbon footprint: 30% lower than concrete and 20% lower than CLT.
These results highlight eco-voxels as a promising low-carbon, high-performance solution for sustainable and affordable construction, opening new possibilities for faster, more sustainable building solutions. In addition to residential uses, emergency shelters built with eco-voxels could be used for disaster-relief scenarios, where quick assembly, modularity, and minimal environmental impact are crucial.
“This study exemplifies how advances in structural mechanics, sustainable composite development, and sustainability analysis can yield transformative solutions when coupled. Eco-voxels — our modular, reconfigurable building blocks — provide a scalable, low-carbon alternative that redefines our approach to building in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.”
Christos E. Athanasiou
Space construction using eco-voxels.
Building in Space
Beyond their terrestrial potential, eco-voxels can also offer a promising solution for off-world construction where traditional building methods are unfeasible. Their lightweight, rapid assembly — structures can be erected in less than an hour — and reliance on sustainable or locally sourced materials make them ideal candidates for future Martian or lunar shelters.
“The ability to build these structures quickly is a significant advantage for space construction,” said Athanasiou. “In space, we need lightweight units made from locally sourced materials.”
Perhaps most importantly, the researchers envision a future where the built environment not only minimizes harm but actively contributes to the preservation of planetary health.
This research was led by Georgia Tech, in collaboration with teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and the National University of Singapore.
CITATION:
Georgiou, D., Okegbu, D., Yang, Z., Wang, T., Snowdon, M. R., Mohanty, A., Gershenfeld, N., Yan, W., & Athanasiou, C. E. (2025). Eco-voxels: Building blocks for sustainable, load-bearing structures. Matter. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102106
FUNDING:
Dimitrios Georgiou and Christos E. Athanasiou acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award [CMMI-2338508].
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