Sustainable architecture is another area of expertise for which BOTEC has become known. The building which houses BOTEC, completed in 2001, is itself designed as a demonstration project, incorporating climate-friendly and low energy features such as evaporative cooling, a reticulated atrium, solar chimneys, rainwater collection and sewage recycling. The Centre is also researching new methods of producing building blocks from the sand of the Kgalagadi desert. The aim is to enable people living in the sandy areas of Botswana to construct modern houses more cost effectively, using affordable, durable bricks and blocks.