No Comments »

Next, Vo Trong Nghia Architects Solve Housing for the Poor in Vietnam

• Tweet

• Tweet

 

From the Vo Trong Nghia Architects: “People in Mekong Delta, with an average income under $100 per month mainly live in cheap temporary houses. Ironically, poor structures result in high maintenance fee.”

Therefore, low-cost but permanent house is an urgent social issue in the region.

The aim was to provide a stable but lightweight, permanent but easy-to-build 30 sq m home within a budget of $4,000 for families in Tân An, Long An Province.

Nipa palms are abundant in the Mekong Delta, and in harmony with the surroundings.

And they are almost free.

Similarly, polycarbonate panels are inexpensive, yet allow some natural light to enter.

Prefabrication and a DIY approach keeps it affordable, while precast concrete frames and foundations guarantee structural integrity.

To cope with harsh weather of the region, the project combines Nipa palm and corrugated cement in a “double roof” that keeps out rain and offers some thermal moderation.

And lastly, because waterways are the dominant transportation in Mekong Delta, light frames were needed for families to transport the parts by boat.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects have created successful mass produceable $4,000 houses for the DIY builder.