Eco-friendly masonry solutions are becoming more important in New York City as property owners and builders look for practical ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and build more responsibly. In a market where durability, energy performance, and code compliance all matter, eco-friendly masonry solutions can help make construction more sustainable without sacrificing long-term performance. This guide breaks down the materials, methods, costs, and real-world benefits that matter most for NYC projects.
Innovative brick wall construction in New York City for sustainable building with eco-friendly materials, brick wall construction.
Developing Innovative Solutions in Masonry for Sustainable Building
Creating innovative masonry solutions for eco-friendly constructions.
Green building has long passed the fad and is no longer a fleeting moment. It’s quickly becoming the norm, and masonry is in the middle of it.
When working on a building project, whether you’re building, renovating or restoring a property in New York City, you’ve no doubt heard terms such as sustainable construction, eco-friendly materials, and energy efficient building. What does that all really mean for masonry? And, more practically, can you afford it, what is available, and will it be useful?
This guide has got it all sorted. No fluff, just straight-up facts on innovative masonry solutions that are making construction in NYC, and nationwide, greener.
There Are Numerous Reasons Why Masonry and Sustainability Work Well Together
Masonry and sustainability go hand in hand for many reasons.
While specific solutions will be discussed, it is important to understand some of the reasons why masonry, in its traditional form, is already one of the more sustainable approaches to building out there.
Natural materials can be used to create brick, stone and concrete blocks. They do not use off-gas chemicals, as do some synthetic materials. Their lifespan is 100 years or longer, meaning they last longer and generate less waste. They offer a natural thermal mass, which means they can save electricity without requiring any technology.
This is in contrast to vinyl siding, which has a lifespan of 20-30 years and goes to a landfill. Or wood framing that must be treated with chemicals to deter pests and rot. The cost of masonry begins at a higher level.
Nonetheless, there is an environmental cost of traditional masonry production as brick kilns consume a lot of energy, Portland cement production generates CO2 emissions and stone quarrying has a land impact. That’s why innovation is coming to the rescue.
Innovative Material 1: Reclaimed and Recycled Brick
Recycled Brick is one of the most basic and efficient green masonry products available and is also one of the oldest.
In New York City, where numerous buildings are being torn down, the bricks don’t have to end up in the landfill. Recycled Bricks can be cleaned, sorted and reused in new construction or remodeling. They’re structurally sound, they are known to withstand NYC’s weather conditions, and they have a character that new brick cannot match.
Environmentally, reclaimed brick represents a 100% elimination of the energy cost of making brick. No firing of the kiln, no removal of raw materials, no removal of manufacturing emissions.
Reclaimed Brick cost will vary from $2 to $6 per brick in NYC, depending on brick type, condition and source. The material cost is a little higher, at $1 to $3 per brick, for new brick. However, with the lesser environmental footprint and the style, particularly in brownstone homes or historic neighborhood developments, reclaimed brick can be a better choice all the way.
One Useful Hint
If you are purchasing reclaimed brick, have a masonry experienced inspect the brick prior to buying a big amount. A portion of salvaged brick is soft or has been compromised in some manner that would not be noticeable on the first viewing.
Innovative Material 2: Fly Ash Brick
Another innovative material is fly ash brick.
Fly ash comes from coal combustion. More specifically, it consists of the fine particles power plants collect from exhaust systems. For years, industry treated it as waste. Today, manufacturers use it in brick production.
Manufacturers make fly ash brick by mixing fly ash with water, lime, and gypsum, then pressure-curing the mixture. This process avoids kiln firing altogether. That alone makes production far more energy-efficient than traditional fired clay brick.
The numbers matter here. Manufacturers produce fly ash brick at much lower temperatures, around 200°F, which can cut energy use in the production process by up to 40%. The process also puts an industrial waste product to work instead of sending it for disposal.
Fly ash brick performs very well too. It matches or slightly exceeds conventional brick in strength, and it absorbs less water, which gives it a real advantage in a humid climate like New York.
In NYC, fly ash brick usually costs between $0.25 and $0.70 per brick. In some cases, it even costs less than clay brick. That makes it one of the few green alternatives that can save money upfront.
More builders now use fly ash brick in commercial construction across the five boroughs, and it deserves serious consideration for new masonry projects.
Innovative Material 3: Hempcrete
Manufacturers make hempcrete from hemp hurds, which are the woody core of the hemp plant, mixed with lime and water. Builders have used it in Europe for years, and it is slowly gaining traction in the U.S.
Hempcrete does not serve as a structural material. Builders usually use it inside a structural frame as insulation or infill. In masonry work, it can work well as a non-load-bearing wall fill or as an interior insulation layer in place of synthetic foam insulation.
Why does that matter? Hemp grows quickly and absorbs carbon as it grows. It reaches maturity in about four months. Over the life of a hempcrete wall, the material can absorb more CO2 than its production releases. Very few traditional building materials can make that claim.
Hempcrete also performs well. It provides strong thermal performance and handles moisture naturally. Because it stays breathable, it works especially well in historic masonry buildings that need walls to manage moisture without trapping it.
It does cost more than traditional insulation. In NYC, installed hempcrete wall systems usually range from $10 to $18 per square foot. Even so, property owners who care about long-term sustainability and indoor air quality may find it well worth considering.
Innovative Material 4: Low-Carbon Mortar
Very few people pay much attention to mortar. The material being used in most modern mortar, Portland cement, is one of the most carbon-intensive in the construction industry, so it deserves attention at least in the context of Portland cement mortar.
The cement industry is responsible for about 8 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. For comparison, that’s more than the whole aviation industry.
There are alternatives now available that are relatively low carbon and are becoming more usable:
Geopolymer Cement
In geopolymer cement, the cementing material is not Portland cement but industrial waste such as fly ash or slag. It emits up to 80% less CO2 than regular cements and possesses similar or superior strength and durability.
Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL)
Natural hydraulic lime (NHL) is another traditional method that, like Portland cement, is also low-carbon. It’s especially applicable for the restoration of historic masonry in NYC, where historic soft brick needs a flexible, breathable rather than rigid, mortar.
One of the simplest ways to make your project low carbon for any masonry project in NYC, whether new construction or restoration, is simply to ask your contractor about low carbon masonry mortars.
Cost Difference
The difference in cost between geopolymer and NHL mortars is about 10-20 percent in the material cost of the mortar. That’s typically a low cost project that has a high environmental return on investment.
Innovative Approach: Thermal Mass Design
This is not a material, it is a design approach. It’s one of the most effective tools when it comes to eco-friendly masonry construction.
Thermal mass is the quality of a material that can absorb, store and slowly give off heat. Brick, stone and concrete all have high thermal mass. If properly designed, masonry walls can function as a natural thermostat, absorbing energy during the day and releasing it at night, thus minimizing the demand for heating and cooling.
This is really useful in New York City where the summer can get quite hot and the winter can get quite cold with heat actually reaching 90°F and below freezing temperatures.
The energy savings of a well-designed thermal mass wall in a New York building are as much as 15 to 30 percent per year in heating and cooling energy. With a typical brownstone or rowhouse, that could equate to $400 to $900 saved each year on energy costs.
The main factors are orientation and thickness. The walls that have a south aspect and are thick enough, usually 8-12 inches of solid masonry, are most effective. The benefit is multiplied when thermal mass walls are used in combination with appropriate window placement and appropriate insulation.
This should be discussed at the beginning of the design process with your architect and masonry contractor. There is no additional cost for designing for thermal mass (but is more costly to add after construction).
Sustainability in Masonry and NYC Building Codes
The City of New York has been working hard to increase sustainability demands for buildings over time. The Local Law 97 of 2019 establishes carbon emission limits for large buildings and will begin imposing fines for those that exceed limits in 2024. This law is mainly directed at buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, but it does indicate a trend of how NYC buildings are being built.
Green masonry practices can help in smaller residential and commercial projects to:
- Recycled content materials and reducing construction waste both contribute to LEED points, and help earn LEED certification.
- Energy code compliance – thermal mass design and correct insulation to comply with NYC energy code.
- Historic preservation incentives: Using lime mortars and reclaimed materials conform to the Landmarks Preservation Commission standards for historic districts in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.
For those projects in a landmarked district, (which most NYC masonry buildings are!) materials such as reclaimed brick and lime mortar can often meet the requirements of preservation and sustainability. It’s not often you see that you are doing the right thing for the environment, and that’s what the rules say to do.
The Bottom Line
Sustainable masonry is not all about compromising on quality or paying a hefty price premium. It’s about doing a better job of selecting materials that are more durable, generate less waste and fit the environment, rather than against it.
There are practical tools available to NYC property owners and builders today, such as reclaimed brick, fly ash brick, low carbon mortar, hempcrete and thermal mass design. Some of them actually are less expensive than conventional alternatives. Each of them has the ability to help minimize environmental impact, and all are known for their durability, which is a hallmark of masonry.
For more than 150 years, Brick has been constructing buildings in New York. With some innovative ideas, it will be constructing a more environmentally friendly version of it for the next 150 years.