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The limited resources on the planet have forced the rethinking of otherwise straightforward methods of building and selection of masonry materials. This research investigates using solid waste materials from the desert area and adding them to a clay matrix, and their effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting composite. Clay and fronds were mixed with pits of dates arranged horizontally, vertically, at 45 degrees angles and crushed pits were compared to plain clay bricks in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. Although adding crushed pits greatly enhanced the mechanical properties of clay bricks, making them 85% tougher (greater area under the stress-strain diagram) and 15% stronger (ultimate stress), the composite did not display any enhancement in thermal properties, as the thermal conductivity remained in the range typical of sand and clay. Suitable applications for the composite would be as moulded pliable insulating sheets, or as a filler material. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4801754]