The lecture was attended by a large number of foreign and Arab delegates representing various public and private sector companies, offering them insights into MSA’s environmental contributions and research outcomes.

*The presentation covered the following key projects:

-The Ecofordable House: An eco-friendly, cost-effective house built with compressed earth bricks, mixed roofing systems, and palm fronds.

-Green Homes for a Green Future in Mousa Meizar – Fayoum: A sustainable model for rural development in Egypt.

-Locally-Designed Environmental Monitoring Networks and Stations: Automated, Egyptian-made environmental sensing and monitoring systems.

*The lecture was delivered by:

-Dr. Nermeen Abdel Galil Mohamed, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, MSA University — Founder and Director of MSA Center of Earth

-Eng. Ahmed Aboul Fadl Tawfik, Engineer and Researcher at the Center of Scientific Excellence and Entrepreneurship, MSA University

-Eng. El-Sayed Taha El-Kady, Communications and Electronics Engineer, Entrepreneur, MSA Graduate, and Co-Founder of SCD for Embedded Systems and Electronic Designs

-Eng. Islam Abou El-Dardaa Mohamed, Environmental Architect, Faculty of Engineering, MSA University

Through this active participation, MSA University reaffirmed its commitment to supporting innovative solutions for climate and sustainability challenges in Egypt and beyond.

The committee was headed by Eng. Hesham Darwish, Head of the Construction and External Relations Sector at the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, along with Prof. Dr. Ahmed El-Gabry, Dean of the Institute of Building Materials and Quality Control at HBRC. They were accompanied by a team of specialized engineers.

Eng. Hesham Darwish expressed his great admiration for the project’s architectural design, construction systems, artistic elements, and the use of natural, cost-efficient materials. He affirmed that this model is highly suitable for implementation in the Rural House Project in New Valley Governorate, which has already received approval from both the Board of Directors of the Social Fund for Development and the Council of Ministers. He emphasized that the design and applied systems align perfectly with the region’s climate, resources, and social lifestyle.

The project successfully met all Egyptian code requirements, according to the evaluations conducted by the Housing and Building National Research Center on the building’s structural safety, thermal and acoustic comfort, and overall construction quality — all supervised by Prof. Dr. Ahmed El-Gabry.

In addition, the compressed interlocking brick mixture — made from sandy soil, along with its production and treatment processes — was granted a patent by the Egyptian Patent Office at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in December 2020. Moreover, the project’s housing unit design was awarded First Prize for Innovation in the category of Green Urbanism and Creative Architecture at the 4th Cairo International Innovation Exhibition, organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.

The project was implemented by the Center of Earth at October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA). It has been recognized as suitable not only for social housing projects but also for application in tourist villages and private villas. Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Sakr emphasized the importance of adopting and expanding the implementation of this model across various construction projects within Egypt’s building sector.

The residential unit features advanced structural systems and alternative materials for walls, ceilings, and openings, significantly reducing costs, preserving environmental resources, and enhancing aesthetic value. The design is adaptable for various housing categories — including luxury residences — and can be constructed using either reinforced load-bearing walls or non-load-bearing walls in multi-storey buildings.

Walls were constructed using compressed interlocking bricks made from sandy soil — bricks that do not require burning in their production. These walls are assembled through an interlocking system, eliminating the need for traditional mortar or plastering. The bricks have demonstrated structural safety, earthquake resistance, and excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, based on technical evaluations conducted by the Housing and Building National Research Center.

Ceilings were executed with a hybrid structural system, ensuring safety while incorporating domes and vaults in a contemporary architectural form. Additionally, windows and doors were crafted from palm fronds (date palm leaves) using an innovative artistic technique that combines durability with the distinctive aesthetic of traditional mashrabiya.

The project fully complied with all Egyptian building code requirements. The brick mixture, as well as its production and treatment processes, was granted a patent and 20-year protection by the Egyptian Patent Office at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in December 2020. The residential unit was executed with the approval of the Construction and External Relations Sector at the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities.

1. A full documentation of the process using videos (preferably time lapses) and photos.

2. Preparing a daily report on the accomplished site works, number of labors, etc.

3. Helping the workers in the classification of bricks.

• It is not necessary to attend the whole day.

• A training certificate will be offered as part of your required training hours.

• Site location: https://goo.gl/maps/gcb7YzM8LsvGgMTX7

• MSA Center of Earth page: https://www.facebook.com/MSA.Center.of.Earth/

The center’s exhibition booth attracted considerable attention and admiration from visitors, notably including the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Governor of Giza, professors and students from the Military Technical College, and scholars from the National Research Center. Their interest was driven by the live interactive models on display — particularly a low-cost, eco-friendly housing unit built from stabilized, interlocking compressed earth blocks made from sandy soil.

The project showcased an innovative, sustainable construction approach that aligns with both environmental and economic goals, offering a practical, scalable solution for future housing in Egypt.

🔗 Official Results

Participating Center Members and Research Team:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nermeen Abdel Galil (Lead Supervisor)-Asst. Lecturer Omar El-Meligy-Asst. Lecturer Shorouk Mohamed-Asst. Lecturer Ahmed Mahdy-Eng. Abdel Rahman Gamil-Eng. Mohamed Ezzou-Mohamed Ahmed-Norhan Abdel Hamid-Mostafa Soliman-Omnia Ali-Mirna Mohamed-Mostafa Abdel Aziz-Mohamed Gamie-Ahmed Abdel Fattah-Sara Meseilhi.

This achievement further reinforces MSA University’s leadership in green innovation and sustainable architecture, contributing to Egypt’s broader vision for environmentally responsible urban development.

The event will be held at the Social Fund for Development Hall (SME Projects Hall), Cairo International Fairgrounds, Nasr City, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, as part of the activities of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The exhibition is held under the patronage of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade. It will host the participation of numerous countries from the Arab, African, and Asian regions.

Click For participation details and to follow the event’s activities

To promote principles of “Green Architecture” and “Affordable Homes’ and develop designs with appropriate technologies that are environmentally-friendly, economic and aesthetically appealing, the Faculty of Engineering at MSA University took the initiative of importing a motorized hydraulic press machine with high specifications and compression force to produce interlocking compressed earth blocks “Eco Bricks” (size 25cm x 12.5cm and various heights) using the available sandy soil at MSA 6th of October Campus.

High mechanical properties and compression strengths of “Eco Bricks” are obtained without the need of the polluting firing process used in conventional red bricks. In addition, because of the interlocking “Lego-like” feature of the bricks and their high quality and accuracy, neither mortar nor plastering are needed, reducing thus the cost and minimizing the use of cement of which its industry is on the top of the list of pollutants.

In numbers, CO2 emissions of Eco Bricks are 12 times less than red bricks, they need 10 times less embodied energy than red bricks for their production, building with them is 4 times faster and 1m2 finished wall is 60% cheaper than a finished conventional wall. The machine’s productivity is 1600 bricks per 8 hours and creates many work opportunities.

It is worthy to say that the press machine is the beginning of launching the establishment of “MSA Center of Earth” training and research center at MSA University 6th of October Campus. The center is intending to build an experimental residential unit at MSA campus that will help in developing an Egyptian building code for this technology.

This dream come true would have never been possible without the full support and vision of Dr. Nawal El Degwi, Head of Board of Trustees and Dr. Nahed Sobhi, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and the determination of, efforts made and intensive training took by Dr. Nermine Abdel Gelil (Architecture) and her team: Arch. Omar El Melegy (Architecture), Arch. Abdel Rahman Gamil (Architecture), Eng. Shorouk M. Soliman (Civil), Eng. Ahmed Mahdi (Civil), Eng. Yasser M. Safan (Mechatronics), students: Ahmed Abdel Fattah, Mirna Mohamed, Mohamed Ahmed, Mostafa Abdel Aziz, Mostafa Soliman, Nourhan Abdel Hamid, Omnia Ali, and worker: 3am Soliman.