Affordable And Green: Sandbag Houses // Cape Town // South Africa // MMA Architects
MMA Architects completed a home built out of timber and sandbags and became the winner of the Curry Stone Foundation Prize this year. The prize is awarded to individuals or groups that create architecture that has the potential to make positive changes in a community by offering shelter, community health, peace, or clean water, air and food. This sandbag house was built for a mere $6,000, making it affordable for low-income housing. The design also utilizes uncomplicated techniques- and was constructed with the help of its future residents who were able to gain a sense of ownership through the building process.
While these homes are not necessarily decked out with solar panels and energy-efficient insulation, the design and construction of the home takes advantage of techniques that conserve money and resources. First, the home uses inexpensive local materials which cuts down on transportation. Second, the home utilizes Eco Beams, a system of building that replaces brick-and-mortar with sandbags. The system is reported to be just as strong as a brick system and uses less timber than traditional construction.
The home is the first in a community of 10 other homes to be built in Freedom Park, near Cape Town in South Africa. The homes are the result of the 10×10 Housing Project, a project challenging 10 architecture teams to develop plans for low-cost housing.
Luyunda Mpahlwa has said that he plans on using the prize money- $100,000- to build more of these homes, and to send underprivileged students to architecture school.
Read more about the 10×10 Housing project: www.dezeen.com
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Hi. Can someone tell me where I can find polypropylene bags for sandbag building in South Africa? There dont seem to be any bags in the town that I live in. Thanks.
Try geotextiles africa 011 396 1975.Im planning to try sandbag building shortly.
live in johannesburg.
no but i am also looking
Good day
Please supply me with more info regarding this building method. I would like to use this method as a owner/builder. Steps of constructing, building plans, building methods. I have a plot in a low costing area and would like to construct low cost housing for people employed by me as part my plans to uplift them and render a better living environment for them and their immedaite famalies.The majority of employees rent a corugated iron or wendy house from other individuals which is not comducive to the employee or the community.
Regards
Chris
http://www.ecobuildtechnologies.com/
CAn get aal here
the cheapest thing is to buy misprinted bags (rice or grain), as long as the finished result is rendered it doesn’t matter what type of bag is used.
Hi
I want to start experimenting with a store room in my back yard. If I use rice bags, must I plaster it to prevent sun damage to the bags? Do I have to use ecobeams or can I just stack the sand bags?
Hi does anyone know where a person can take earthbag building courses. Thanks.
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