Central Java Government Tests Interlock Bricks for Faster, Cheaper Home Construction

One example is the use of interlock bricks in the construction of a new house for residents in Jaten Village, Selogiri District, Wonogiri Regency. The house was inaugurated by Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen today.

In cooperation with PT Semen Indonesia (Persero), the Central Java provincial government is testing the use of interlock bricks as an alternative in the construction of government housing assistance. The figure, familiarly known as Gus Yasin, said the technology allows houses to be built at a more efficient cost. The 30-square-metre house, for example, was built with a budget of around Rp 60 million.

“If calculated by a builder, one square metre usually costs Rp 3 million. That means 30 square metres would cost Rp 90 million. But alhamdulillah, we funded this construction at Rp 60 million,” Gus Yasin said in a written statement on Thursday (13/8/2026).

In addition to saving costs, the use of interlock bricks also speeds up construction time. The house was completed in about one and a half months. According to him, this efficiency is the reason the Central Java provincial government has begun testing the application of interlock brick technology in its housing assistance programme.

“This is what we are encouraging for use and application, particularly for housing assistance from the Central Java provincial government,” he said.

He explained that the trial is currently limited to two houses. The provincial government will next evaluate the results before expanding the use of interlock bricks to housing assistance construction in other areas.

Gus Yasin expressed hope that similar innovations could be adopted by district/city governments and the central government, so that the construction of liveable houses can be carried out at a lighter cost and does not increasingly burden beneficiaries.

The innovation is part of the Central Java provincial government’s efforts to address the still substantial housing problem. In 2026, the Central Java regional budget intervention is directed at improving the quality of 5,111 uninhabitable houses spread across 35 districts/cities. Of that number, 235 units are located in Wonogiri Regency.

“In addition to repairing existing houses, the Central Java provincial government is also allocating new construction to address the housing backlog of 120 units. Twenty of those units are in Wonogiri,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries is Isnano Dalhari Nuryanto. The resident of Jaten Village, Selogiri District, Wonogiri Regency works as a farm labourer with an income of around Rp 1 million to Rp 2 million per month.

He is also still supporting the needs of his two school-age children. Before receiving the assistance, Isnano and his family were still living with relatives. Now, the house that was previously only a hope has been built and is ready for his family to occupy.

For Isnano, the assistance is not merely a new building, but an opportunity to have a more decent place to live for his family.

“The house is very decent,” Isnano concluded.