A family in rural São Paulo has completed an unconventional sustainable housing project using around 7,000 end-of-life tyres, alongside 3,000 PET bottles and 5,000 aluminium cans, transforming discarded waste into a functional home and studio
Known as Casa Orgânica, the project was developed by Vera and Yuri Sanada in Joanópolis and combines recycled materials with water reuse and renewable energy systems. Waste tyres, filled with compacted earth, form the main structural walls of the property, providing stability and thermal insulation while reducing the need for conventional building materials.
PET bottles and aluminium cans were incorporated into walls, roofing, slabs and stair structures, while additional sustainability features include a green roof, skylights for natural lighting and solar energy generation.
According to Brazilian recycling platform Recicla Sampa, the house can reduce water consumption by up to 60% through staged water reuse systems, allowing water to be used multiple times before disposal.
The project has attracted attention within sustainable construction and recycling circles as an example of how waste materials such as tyres can be repurposed for practical, long-term infrastructure rather than sent to landfill or disposed of.
Casa Orgânica was designed not only as a family home, but also as a demonstration of alternative construction methods that combine waste reduction, lower resource consumption and greater energy autonomy.
Source: Noel Budeguer, Click Petróleo e Gás
