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The operational title adopted by AusAid is "The Durban Self Help Housing Project." Durban, on South Africa's eastern seaboard, was considered a stiff challenge because of its wet climate, and it was felt that if Mud Brick was successfully introduced in Durban it would work anywhere in South Africa. South Africans, coming from a history of Apartheid, are cautious when it comes to projects tailored to suit the third world - right from the planning stage it was clear that a strong credible local partner was needed
Khuphuka, an NGO, was set up to train disadvantaged groups - mainly youth and women - in practical skills including construction disciplines. By integrating graduates into commercial projects, Khuphuka is able to complete the training begun in the classroom and also provide revenue towards their goal of self-sufficiency. Forging and maintaining links with community structures has been a top priority for Khuphuka, and this affinity has proved invaluble to the Australian project. The make-up of civil society in South Africa changes constantly, and without a dynamic local partner, foreign initatives can easily founder. Apart from the community links, Khuphuka's technical and manufacturing capacity has enabled the project to operate cost-effectively by building machinery in-house, sourcing materials at preferential discounts and linking up with reliable contractors.
There are many vested interests on the housing scene in South Africa. Each day brings a new "innovative" system promising an answer to the housing crisis. In fact, many of these systems are capital intensive - purely commercial ventures - while some are community-based and sustainable. It is within this context that earthbuilding is finding its place.
By being part of larger housing projects, the Australian team has been able to demonstrate by way of the construction of mud brick houses how simple earthbuilding is. The process has generated enormous attention, with interested parties scrutinising every aspect of construction. Enquiries regarding structural integrity, longevity of the material, waterproofing, cost and maintenance are all fielded on site. Adjacent to the construction site, mud bricks are being made by builders from the community, supervised by trainers from Khuphuka. These trainees are schooled in soil analysis, mould making, production management and the handling of plant. Although cost is not the only factor driving the growing popularity of mud brick, in the subsidised sector it has become a central issue. For first-time home owners who have no finance apart from the government subsidy, the lower cost of mud brick can mean a substantial increase in the size of a house.
While mud brick has no specific design parameters, it was felt that the intrinsic qualitites such as thermal mass should be exploited in the design of the house. Extensive consultation with communtity bodies has led to several designs being evolved which are functional and attractive. The consultation process has proved vital in the acceptance of mud brick. For example, the issue of rendering is a common question: because mud brick walls are completely waterproof due to the asphalt present in both brick and mortar, rendering becomes unnecessary. In this case a simple practical demonstration can allay fears.
Of all the materials used in domestic construction, it is mud brick which has the greatest potential in the self-building area. Assuming the earth from the selected site is suitable, the cost advantage becomes substantial. Another factor in favour of mud brick is scale. Unlike concrete block production, where aggregate can only be purchased in certain volumes, mud brick making can comence with very little capital. To service this sector, manuals and video material have been compiled, and plans are afoot to offer a comprehensive support system for those engaged in self-building projects.
As earthbuilding gains popular acceptance in South Africa, so demand for specific support services will escalate. It is therefore vital that provision be made now for skilled personnel such as engineers, architects and quantity surveyors to be exposed to earthbuilding. It is through institutions such as universities, technikons, and standards authorities that earthbuilding will find scientific acceptance and formally be adopted as a sound and valid construction option.
durbanet
