Lego-Like Blocks Used for 96-Unit S. Florida Apartment Project

Apartments have been made out of box cars and pre-fabricated walls shipped to the site on a flatbed truck. But Lego’s? Coastal Construction recently completed a 96-unit apartment project in less than two months, with only 11 unskilled laborers, using an interlocking brick system that snaps together like Lego’s.

Stacked like conventional cinderblocks and hammered into place, the blocks are a streamlined alternative to constructing buildings out of wood, concrete, and steel. Fast Copy reports the material is called Renco, and it’s made of a fully recyclable mix of repurposed glass and plastic, calcite dust, and resin. Similar to fiberglass, the blocks made of this composite have high strength and stability and can withstand a wide range of environmental forces. The material is rated to withstand a Category 5 storm.

The 96-unit apartment building in Palm Springs, Florida, is the first building in the U.S. to use Renco. Compared to a conventional project built with concrete, the complex was built 20% faster and 20% cheaper.