Elementerre is a Senegalese company founded with the mission of revolutionizing the construction sector using sustainable, locally sourced materials. Established in 2010, the company has made rammed earth its primary material, offering it as an ecological and long-lasting alternative to conventional building materials.
Using compressed earth blocks, produced by mixing local soil with a small quantity of natural stabilizers, they create building materials with a low environmental impact. It offers a compelling alternative to energy-intensive materials such as concrete, providing thermal and acoustic properties that reduce energy consumption for cooling, while also ensuring durability and strength. The blocks form solid structures that are resistant to erosion.
Another material widely used by the company is bulrush, or cattail. It grows naturally along riverbanks and in wetland areas with stagnant water, such as marshes.
Elementerre brings change directly into local communities. Among its most notable projects are the construction of secondary schools in Senegal, proof that rammed earth is well suited to both rural and urban settings.
As one of the winners of Built by Nature, an initiative by the Laudes Foundation that rewards innovative practices and promotes the industrial scalability of biobased materials, the Senegalese company is championing local self-sufficiency and a transition towards construction that integrates harmoniously with the environment.
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