The Wobo seemed to have such potential.

In a combination of humanitarian goodwill and earth-friendly design, Heineken and architect John Habraken developed the Heineken World Bottle (Wobo) in the 1970s. Basically, it’s a brick that holds beer and the idea somehow didn’t catch on.

From inhabitat.com:

Mr. Heineken’s idea came after a visit to the Caribbean where he saw two problems: beaches littered with bottles and a lack of affordable building materials. The WOBO became his vision to solve both the recycling and housing challenges that he had witnessed on the islands.

The Wobos were basically designed to fit together like any other brick and mortar and worked pretty well except in cases of abnormal shapes or corners. There are now only two remaining structures made out of Wobos: a shed at the Heineken compound and a wall at the Heineken museum.

I can’t help but think that maybe one of the dooming factors for Wobos was the fact that anything you build with them would inevitably smell like stale beer. Thanks to boozebuzz faithful Rick Bannon for the tip.