Unless they have been recycled from a previous use, fired clay bricks and terracotta roof tiles are high in embodied energy and increase a building’s environmental footprint. 

Fired clay bricks should be sourced locally and be recycled if possible. Rammed, pressed and puddled earth brick walling has a much lesser environmental impact than new fired clay brick walling.

Better roofing materials include lightweight sheet roofing, earth or other media for green roofing, and recycled concrete and terracotta tiles. The use of newly manufactured concrete or terracotta roof tiles is not permitted at Mullum Creek.