Towards populization of low cost building materials and technologies for urban housing in developing countries
Abstract
This paper is based on a literature review and an e
valuation of practices that have been I place with
respect to low cost building materials and technolo
gies so as to lower costs and hence make the
buildings, especially housing for the majority urba
n poor who have meager resources and hence cannot
afford conventionally built houses.
The paper utilized both secondary data from the lit
erature, and an empirical study of pilot projects
that have been constructed in different regions of
Kenya by utilizing traditional architectural resear
ch
techniques akin to observational techniques in the
social sciences, augmented by open-ended interviews
and discussions with the different actors in the ad
vocacy and use of low cost materials and technologi
es
in building.
This study found out that topmost of the constraint
s that hinder wider application and universalism
for the alternative materials and technologies is l
argely due to both lack of standards and specificat
ions,
and also information by the general populace about
them. Otherwise I general, the alternative
materials and their technologies are quite economic
al, durable, sanitary and safe in construction as
attested to my findings from the case studies for t
his paper
Citation
Magutu, Jerry(2015). Towards populization of low cost building materials and technologies for urban housing in developing countries. ijsrit, 2(1): PP. 20-43Publisher
University of Nairobi