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The design is specifically intended for extremely poor countries in Latin America that have suffered from natural disasters such as earthquakes. To families and people who need proper, durable and affordable re-housing, this solution offers flexible construction that costs no more than $700. The house can easily be dismantled, moved and rebuilt on a new site with the same materials. Furthermore, its strong but flexible structure makes the design resistant to earthquakes.

“Our aim was to create a cheap and safe "real" house that could be constructed in a short time by volunteers and future owners,” said the german architects behind the design, Jan Schreiber and Stefan Becker.

The project was designed for a competition planned by the organization, Un Techo para mi País, which builds emergency houses in nine Latin-American countries. The criteria for the competition were: A budget of $700 per house, the house should occupy a minimal space corresponding to one room of 20m², assembly in two days by inexperienced workers, easy disassembly and earthquake-resistance for some regions

“For our $700 House we use bricks because of their sustainability and outstanding qualities. They are available, cheap to produce and locally produced in most Latin-American countries. They maintain good interior temperature and humidity. Using bricks, a long-lasting, solid and safe house can be built at a low cost.”

Designed by:
Jan Schreiber (architect); Stefan Becker (architect), Berlin, Germany.

Partners:
Technical University Berlin

www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/614
www.untechoparamipais.org