There
is an acute shortage of affordable housing in Southern
Africa.
Earthbuilding offers a way to construct comfortable,
durable housing using local labour and resources.
Depending on the soil type, this could take the form of
Cob Building, Mud Bricks, Rammed Earth, Straw Bales or
Sand Bags.
While
the labour costs of Earth Building are high, there is
the potential for people to be trained in building their
own home. The material costs are definitely lower and
have far fewer environmental costs than conventional
cement based construction.
The Earth Bag building system
80 percent reduction in cement
use, saving 5 tonnes of CO2 emissions in this aspect alone
Walls are 9 times more
insulating than concrete blocks (380mm earthbag wall has
equivalent insulation level to a 1.8 meter thick block wall)
– warm in winter and cool in summer
Condensation - mould and
resultant respiratory problems are not an issue
Cost effective, rapid
construction times
Structurally sound and
literally bullet proof!
High fire resistance
Excellent acoustic properties
Versatile wall materials and
finishes possible – sand or clay-earth, and natural paints
Humidity control when using
natural earth materials and finishes
Wonderful aesthetics when
natural earth materials utilised
Reduction in water usage in
construction
Minimised injury risk on site
Minimal transport costs with
local material use
Minimised wastage and use of
landfills
Minimised site security issues
Simple to understand with
construction by unskilled communities
Building costs are more
community and less corporate orientated
Temporary housing easily
constructed with all materials reusable
Straw
Bale House under construction
Cob House method
This method involves mixing straw, sand, clay and water
and stomping it with your feet to get the right mixture. This is
then shaped into a long roll and little ‘cobs’ (round loaf
shaped bricks) are cut and applied by kneading them into the
walls – giving the walls a life of their own and allowing the
house to breathe in such a way that the house remains cool in
summer and warm in winter. A sizeable cob house, if you know
what you’re doing, can be built for next to nothing using earth
from your site, salvaged windows and doors and a little
imagination for your roof.
Use Local
materials, try:
Earthbuilding offers a way to construct comfortable,
durable housing using local labour and resources.
Depending on the soil type, this could take the form of
Cob Building, Mud Bricks, Rammed Earth, Straw Bales or
Sand Bags.
