Every building starts with a choice of material. Most of India still builds with bricks fired in kilns, burning fuel and topsoil to make each one. CJ EcoTech, our sister company, makes compressed stabilised earth blocks instead: pressed, not burned, from the soil a building stands on.
Blocks are made by compressing damp soil with a small amount of cement in a press. No kiln, no coal, no smoke.
Studies by the Auroville Earth Institute found earth blocks carry about 11 times less embodied energy and about 12 times less carbon than country-fired bricks.
Thick earth walls absorb the day’s heat slowly and release it at night, keeping rooms more comfortable through Hyderabad’s summers.
The main ingredient is soil from the site or nearby, which cuts transport and keeps the building’s walls rooted in its place.
Source: Auroville Earth Institute, “Compressed Stabilised Earth Block”. Based on Auroville conditions; Hyderabad numbers will come from our own tests.
| Earth blocks (CSEB) | Fired clay bricks | Concrete / AAC blocks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How they’re made | Pressed from soil + ~5% cement, no firing | Fired in kilns | Cement-based, factory cured |
| Embodied energy | Low | High (about 11× earth blocks) | Medium to high |
| Main raw material | Local subsoil | Topsoil, often from farmland | Cement, sand, fly ash |
| Wall finish | Can be left exposed; no plaster needed | Usually plastered | Usually plastered |
| Thermal comfort | Good: stores and releases heat slowly | Moderate | AAC insulates well; dense concrete less so |
| Where made | On your site | Distant kilns | Factories |
Comparisons are general and depend on the specific product and design. The energy number is from the Auroville Earth Institute, based on Auroville conditions. Hyderabad numbers will come from our own tests once our first blocks complete their 28-day curing.
Full comparison with red brick, fly ash, AAC and concrete blocks →
We make blocks on your site with a manual press of the kind developed with the Auroville Earth Institute, for builders, homeowners and architects.
Every batch is made from tested soil, stabilised with a measured amount of cement, and cured for four weeks before it goes into the walls. Our standard block is 240 × 240 mm, which suits load-bearing walls and exposed, plaster-free finishes.
| Block | Size | Strength | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain 240 | 240 × 240 mm, 90 mm high | Test results coming soon | On request |
The soil you dig out for foundations is usually trucked away as waste. When it tests suitable, we turn it into your walls instead.
We bring the press and a trained crew to your site, test the soil, and make blocks right where they will be used. There is less to transport, less to throw away, and the finished building is made, quite literally, from its own ground.
We don’t rent out the press: CJ EcoTech’s own operator runs it on your site.
Every soil is different. Some have too much clay, some too much sand, and a few aren’t suitable for blocks at all. Finding out before you build saves money and avoids weak walls.
Well-made, cement-stabilised earth blocks are used for load-bearing walls in many buildings, including at Auroville. We will publish the tested strength of our own blocks once our first batches finish curing.
No. The cement in the mix stabilises the blocks. Like any wall, they last longest with a proper plinth, roof overhangs and good drainage.
Not necessarily. Many people leave them exposed for their natural finish. They can be plastered or painted if you prefer.
Yes. Some people start with a compound wall, a garden room or one feature wall before building a whole home.
Prices depend on the quantity, your soil and the mix it needs, and your site. Send an enquiry and we’ll give you a quote.
No, we don’t rent it out. CJ EcoTech brings its own press and operator and makes the blocks on your site.
Our soil test checks whether your soil makes good blocks, and with which mix. For the foundation design, your structural engineer may ask for a separate soil investigation from a geotechnical lab.
Any builder who knows earth blocks, or ZB EcoTech Infra, our sister company, which builds homes turnkey. Independent house construction →
Tell us where you’re building. We’ll tell you whether your soil suits earth blocks, and what it would take.
Send an enquiry