A new project near Phang Nga, Thailand, is putting a spotlight on alternative brick materials by transforming piles of elephant dung from nearby elephant villages into hand-shaped, sun-cured bricks used to build the sculptural Goya Tower.
According to The Times of India, the bricks come from roadside waste in elephant communities and are positioned as a sustainable building material. The tower’s name ties back to an elephant, and the work sits near Elephant Mountain, adding another local layer to a project rooted in place, material, and story.
For mason contractors watching material trends, the big takeaway is not the novelty. It is the growing interest in masonry units that use unconventional ingredients, local inputs, and low-energy curing. Sun-cured brick production also points to a different set of logistics than kiln-fired units, including storage, protection from weather during curing, and tighter jobsite quality checks for consistency in size and density.
Any project that specifies a nontraditional masonry unit still needs the basics handled the same way: clear performance requirements, documented testing, and installation details that match the unit’s properties. That includes compressive strength, water absorption, dimensional tolerances, mortar compatibility, and how the wall manages moisture with flashing and weeps where applicable.
The Times of India frames Goya Tower as part of a longer-running elephant-dung design practice, not a one-off architectural stunt. For the masonry trade, that signals a broader trend. Designers keep looking for new ways to make brick and block work as both structure and sculpture, while pushing the conversation on sustainability and local sourcing.
Read the full, original article from The Times of India here.