Blockwork uses large concrete or stone blocks to build walls. Concrete blocks, also called cinder blocks or CMUs, are hollow rectangular units about 8 by 8 by 16 inches. They are stacked in mortar, much like bricks, but they are much larger. That makes blockwork faster to lay than brickwork. A mason can cover more wall area in less time. The blocks are heavy, though, and the walls are thick.

Blockwork has several advantages. The hollow cores can be filled with grout and steel reinforcement to create reinforced masonry walls. That makes blockwork suitable for foundations, retaining walls, and load-bearing walls in commercial buildings. The blocks can be left exposed, painted, or faced with brick or stone. They also provide good fire resistance and thermal mass.

In the kitchen, a different kind of blockwork appears. A block of butter, a block of chocolate, a block of tofu, a block of cheese. Each is a solid unit, cut or broken into pieces for cooking. The block is the starting point. The knife is the tool. The cook decides the size. The block is not a wall. It is an ingredient. But the logic is similar. The block is a unit. It is handled, cut, and used. It is the raw material of the dish.