Introducing BUILD Magazine 2/2025: Innovation, Infrastructure & Sustainable Impact

Leca International is proud to present the latest edition of BUILD Magazine 2/2025, a publication dedicated to real-world solutions, groundbreaking engineering, and the role of lightweight aggregates in shaping resilient, sustainable communities. This issue brings together inspiring stories from across Europe — from Portugal to Finland, the UK to Norway — showcasing how Leca® Lightweight Aggregate (LWA) continues to empower better building practices and future-ready infrastructure.

A New Chapter at Leca International

The magazine opens with an important milestone: Ilona Miszczak’s appointment as CEO of Leca International. With more than 20 years of experience at Saint-Gobain, Ilona brings a strong vision for innovation, low-carbon solutions, and customer-focused development. Her leadership underscores Leca’s commitment to nature-based materials and a sustainable future for the construction industry.

Transforming Urban Spaces: Housing & Regeneration

One of this issue’s feature stories takes us to Cascais, Portugal, where the Auchan Bayview development reimagines what an urban hypermarket can be. Rooted in landscape integration, architectural sensitivity, and environmental performance, the project uses Leca® solutions to reduce structural loads, enhance drainage, and support green roofs that double as community spaces. It’s a powerful example of how cities can grow without compromising their natural or social context.

Driving Circular Change: Interview with Amanda Borneke

In an energizing interview, Amanda Borneke, sustainability specialist at Sweco, shares her mission to help the construction industry rethink waste, demolition, and reuse. Her message is clear: circularity isn’t new — we’ve just forgotten it. Through stories of practical leadership, communication, and creativity, Amanda shows how change is possible when people are inspired, not reprimanded. Her philosophy aligns strongly with Leca’s own values of resource responsibility and continuous improvement.

Infrastructure That Supports the Future

Across Europe, BUILD 2/2025 highlights projects where Leca® LWA played a pivotal role in overcoming technical challenges:

• United Kingdom — M25 Junction 28 Upgrade: More than 5,600 m³ of Leca® LWA was used to manage settlement, reduce loading, and ensure long-term performance on one of the UK’s busiest motorways.
• Poland — Modern Riverside Parking in Oświęcim: Leca® LWA helped shape green terraced roofs and improve drainage at a new riverside parking facility that blends mobility, sustainability, and urban comfort.
• Germany — Embankment Stabilisation on the B 432: Lightweight aggregate provided a long-term solution for a subsided road embankment, restoring safety and structural stability.
• Norway — Frost Protection in Hålogalandsveien Tunnels: In extreme Nordic conditions, Leca® LWA delivered robust insulation and drainage for pipelines and critical underground infrastructure.
• Finland — Highway 6 Koria Section: Efficient logistics and low emissions were central to this project, where Leca® LWA enabled faster construction and reduced carbon impact.
• Denmark — E45 Motorway Expansion: By reducing earth pressure and settlement risks, Leca® LWA contributed to the design of Denmark’s “Highway of the Future.”

Each case study demonstrates how lightweight aggregates offer smart, cost-effective and sustainable answers to complex engineering environments.

Technical Insight: New Approaches to Waste and Water

This issue also includes two in-depth technical articles:

• Landfill Cell Construction (Sweden): How Leca® LWA replaced concrete in a hazardous-waste containment system, reducing CO₂ emissions by 1,500 tons while improving long-term performance.
• Stormwater Management (Finland): Proven results show Leca® LWA and Filtralite® products achieving over 90% pollutant removal, supporting EU Water Framework Directive goals.

Discover BUILD 2/2025

This edition of BUILD Magazine demonstrates Leca’s continued mission: enabling smarter building, empowering sustainable choices, and supporting our partners across Europe with trusted, high-performing solutions.

We invite you to explore BUILD Magazine 2/2025 and see how innovation is being built — one project, one material, and one vision at a time.