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
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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Will be be happy to assist
Hi I am stunned, this is amazing. I was wondering if you can help me, Im a student at uct doing my thesis on sustainable construction and looking at different external wall materials that can be used. could you please point me in the right direction, whom was your supplier of the sand bags etc, and who was the contractor who build your place?
thanks
sean
Any advice you may require, photos and or bags give me a call 083 4455123
Hi
anyone out there in the Western Cape who has actually built a sandbag house maybe using the Eco-beam technology and could give me some advice.???
I am looking into the possibility of building a home using this sustainable method but would like to hear the pros and cons from someone who has build walked this path.
Contact Arn 0825535560. He lives in Milnerton and has completed quite a few sandbag structures
I found your blog on Bing, I am very excited about this information, I am also very excited about green homes, I will be checking on your blog very soon
Wonderfull!
A correction on some posts on this forum. It is not correct to use any bag. A lot of development work has been done on the bag and it is vitally important that one of the two bags are used in this system. Either a specially developed polyester or the correct grammage spunbond type is perfect. The problem with everybody using their own bag, is that it is going to comprimise the building system and it gives sandbag building a bad name. I have seen some shocking sandbag structures mainly because people did not follow the building system properly. Don’t short cut what is already an inexpensive building methodology – use the correct bag. A lot of development has been going on for the last 12 years which has brought us to this point. We buy our bags tailor made for this building system anytime we need it. Contact me if you require any assistance. 083 4455123
Contact Arn 0825535560. He lives in Milnerton and has completed quite a few sandbag structures
Hi,I want to build a few houses on my farm ,using this method.Where can I get plans for a this method of building?
Hi Pieter
No special plans are required
we are able to manufacture off standard council plans
cheers
Hi,
I’m looking for people building preferable in the Western Cape that I can help with the labour that I have the chance to learn it to use it in variuos ways helping people in need of housing. I’m a Brazilian living down in Worcester facilitating community development work and I can provide enough reference.
Thanks
Paulo
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