Open Source Ecology has open-source designs for a compressed earth block machine that can generate these things from the dirt on-site. These machines have been

Open Source Ecology has open-source designs for a compressed earth block machine that can generate these things from the dirt on-site. These machines have been built and had been in use for some time now. They did require some knowledge that are not widely disseminated (use of water to motar them together, and other construction techniques you would not use with conventional bricks). With a CEB machine onsite, it makes construction of this type of material decentralized, without having to rely on a fragile, global supply chain. It also means getting more CEBs to affect repairs can be sourced locally, and does not require a functioning global supply chain. (Assuming you can keep the CEB machine in good repair; but that is why it is open-sourced). I think there are some heat retaining properties that CEB have that conventional bricks don't have. Combined with a hollow-core, or insulated core wall construction, the end results are housing that are more efficient with heating and cooling. When combined with permaculture design, the excavation can be done to build swales for efficient rain water harvesting. So yeah, if we only look at the cost from just the perspective of sourcing conventional bricks, maybe it won't compete. From the perspective of whole system design and resilient systems, I think CEB offers something better.