How the Buildings of Tomorrow Are Being Built Today?
Most of us are not focused on construction, let’s be honest. We walk on some sidewalks, live in a home, go to work, and drive across bridges without asking what they are made from. But, behind the scenes, a growing change is happening. It all starts with the ‘buildings’ (or materials we use).
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What is great about this building evolution is the way it incorporates new and regenerative materials, including bricks made from mushrooms and concrete that heals itself (yes, it’s true!), changing how we build, how we live outside of the building, and how we protect our planet.
This is not a science project: these are smart, sustainable solutions to the real problems we are facing in our world.
Let’s discuss what revolutionary construction materials are and why they matter to us all.
1. Self-Healing Concrete – Because Cracks Happen
It may look like a small issue at first, but cracks in concrete are a major challenge, and they allow water to penetrate the structure, cause corrosion, and endanger our roads and buildings over time.
Enter self-healing concrete. This type of concrete is mixed with special bacteria that go dormant until they come into contact with water. After that, the bacteria produce limestone, which fills in the crack on its own. No workers, no expensive repairs.
2. Mycelium Bricks – Grown, Not Manufactured
This will probably blow your mind: bricks made from mushrooms. Yes, you read that right.
Mycelium is the root-like part of fungi. If you take mycelium and mix it with agricultural waste, and put it into molds, mycelium can grow into bricks, which are stronger, fire-resistant bricks.
And the best part? They biodegrade naturally, and don’t require the fossil fuel-intensive firing process that normal bricks go through.
3. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) – Wood 2.0
Wood has been an excellent building material for years, but its weight and structural issues have held it back from larger scales until now with cross-laminated timber (CLT).
CLT is an incredibly simply expressed set of laminated panels, built from boards of wood layered and glued in different directions and dimensions, creating incredible strength and a boring construction with 12-20 stories. Another huge benefit to CLT is:
4. Recycled Plastic Bricks – Diverting Waste to Useful Uses
We all understand the plastic waste issue. What if we can use the problem differently?
Some creative innovators create recycled plastic bricks. They are building solid, affordable blocks made from different plastic waste, often combined with sand or other materials.
The bricks have enough strength and water resistance to function as housing blocks or even cheap housing/classrooms/emergency housing bricks.
The projects in Colombia and Kenya build entire living communities using the plastic bricks. These have functions, are beautiful and interesting.
5. Transparent Wood – Letting the Light In
It could be a plot in a science fiction movie: wood that allows light to pass through. But it’s not; and it could be the future of windows and solar panels.
Researchers have created a way to eliminate all parts of wood that block light and replace with a special polymer. The product is transparent wood, stronger, and better insulator than glass.
Think about buildings that can have wood-framed windows that are energy efficient, beautiful, and stronger than glass — it is a work in progress, but one to look out for.
6. Aerogels – on a scale of one to getting under 0, they work
Imagine you were holding pieces of material; that feel they are made of air and insulate like you are dreaming. That is aerogel.
Aerogels are made up mostly of air and silica, a natural product found in sand. They are some of the lightest constructions on our planet while being able to withstand extreme temperatures, and hold heat in (or out!).
7. Graphene – The Wonder Material
Let’s talk about graphene—a material made from a single layer of carbon atoms. It’s incredibly strong, conducts electricity, and is thinner than a human hair.
In construction, graphene can be added to concrete to make it stronger and more durable. It’s also being studied for energy-efficient coatings, smart surfaces, and even roads that can charge electric vehicles.
Final Thoughts: The Future Is Built on Innovation
We might not notice it every day, but the materials we build with shape our lives—from the homes we live in to the cities we call home. And now, for the first time in a long time, those materials are changing in ways that truly matter.
Revolutionary construction materials are giving us the chance to build smarter, cleaner, and kinder to the planet. They remind us that innovation isn’t just about flying cars or space travel—it’s also about better bricks, stronger concrete, and windows made of wood.
And that, honestly, might be even cooler.
Sagar Telrandhe is a Construction Engineer with a B.Tech in Construction Engineering & Management. Passionate about infrastructure development, project planning, and sustainable construction, he specializes in modern construction techniques, project execution, and quality management, contributing to efficient and innovative building.