Photo: Mobile Crisis Construction
Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2023, millions of people have been displaced from their homes. With buildings destroyed, and an estimated 3.6 million people still internally displaced from their permanent residences, keeping them safe and housed is a major challenge. Australia-based nonprofit Mobile Crisis Construction (MCC) has stepped in to help rebuild. MCC sets up mobile block factories in disaster and war zones which help accelerate building and help people return to safety — and normalcy. In these factories, a mill crushes up rubble, like old walls, glass, and debris, and presses it into recycled, interlocking blocks — reminiscent of a colorful LEGO brick. “The concept is to recycle and use what’s there,” Nic Matich, one of MCC’s founders, told Fast Company. A single machine can make up to 8,000 bricks in a day, producing enough to construct the exterior structure of 10 homes every three days. MCC says the bricks are earthquake-, fire-, and cyclone-resistant, and include slots to help reinforce the structures during construction. “The U.N. might send in food, water, and temporary shelters,” Matich said. “And then we could have our machines roll in as a second phase response … to rebuild the area.”
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