Housing for Low-Income Communities in El Salvador

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A project to develop an alternative form of permanent, low-cost and appropriate housing for low-income communities in El Salvador. The design blends modern engineering principles and technologies with a traditional construction method, creating a low-tech house design that is immediately familiar to local communities, but with a modern look that makes it very popular. The design uses renewable materials such as timber and cane, making it more sustainable than existing designs and providing a new livelihood for rural communities. The design also utilises new technologies that make it exceptionally earthquake resistant.

Judge's comment:

A genuine community project using local materials, people and techniques but enhanced through the sensitive application of appropriate structural engineering knowledge to provide more resilient and better quality homes without incurring cost increases. Potentially life changing for many communities in this extremely poor country. Multifaceted illustration of sustainability of product, process and the people it benefits.