First stepsIn that first meeting, we needed a test to see what the mushroom brick could really do. Was it strong enough to build a competition-winning design? In the initial phase, we didn’t have the luxury of a formal testing lab. The big call — “Yes, it is possible” — came from standing on a brick, then calculating its strength based on the weight of a structural engineer. With that settled, the next big decision was the shape of the structure. If you want to build strong, tall walls, curves are your friend. We therefore knew that arches, tubes, and vaults would be the basic design language. With the memory of Sandy still fresh, we also knew we needed a wide base to carry the wind loads.