The House that Maps Built

Nicky Kirk, a Director at Amenity Space comments, "The project began when we started talking to Ordnance Survey about a programme for recycling discarded maps; the building block idea really grew from there. The bricks we've created not only have greater density than a 250-mm thick concrete block but also have similar strength."

The project works by drilling holes through the centre of each map, which is then placed over a series of steel rods fixed to a timber rail. The sides are then clad with a fire and waterproof layer and the maps compressed until they make up a solid panel. Nicky continues. "At the moment, 12,000 maps are sitting in our offices and Ordnance Survey is able to offer us a reliable source. With people keen to look at environmentally friendly building processes, the map block could represent a sustainable solution."

Gill Blake, from Ordnance Survey's marketing department, comments: "Maps are incredibly versatile, but we never expected someone to turn them into building blocks! This is a great example of recycling in action, and I'd like to congratulate the Amenity Space team for having their work recognised with this award."

Caption: Map Compression Block (http://www.mapblock.org/ )