Assignment 1

Low cost strategy in design

It include the financial cost , science and philosophy of design and how it construct .
This low cost houses have to be
- the design of the building should be in high efficiency of level
-low impact on surrounding area and site
- durability and construction technique of material
-quality
The low cost design construction should be
-affordability ( cost )
-performance ( durability)
Besides the durability aspects of housing, sustainable house building also stems from
other motivations, namely protecting the environment, the climate and the natural
resources
-health (safe life for the occupants )

1 , site selection
In site selection many factors are to be considered which are majorly classifies as
natural factors, man-made factors and aesthetic factors. Natural factors include
geology of the location, depth of the bedrock, water table and terrain conditions. made
factors include factors like exiting land use patterns, traffic and transit conditions,
Existing regulations, standards and basic utilities. Aesthetic factors include natural
features and spatial patterns which are given less importance in general. These factors
are not fixed and vary from place to place. Depending on the requirements these
factors are given weightings and site is selected which would result in low cost
housing.

2,site design
Include the site analysis part and design building

3 ,building unit design

Using the minimize technique of circulation , partitions
The type of the house eg studio , 1 bed room , 2 bed room …..
Including the building sciences

4,construction method and building technology

Vernacular technology , materials prefabricated or site built

5, energy efficient and indoor quality

Material use ,labour cost

6 , building operation and maintenance

Work division between architect ,engineers , labour
7,project financing
Building material for low cost housing construction

1, bamboo and timber

Its cost effective , renewable , easy available , Eco friendly ,strong in tension and
compression, and noted for its rapid growth alternative for steel ,concert and masonry
as an independent and enormous quality .
It have tensile strength ,compressive strength , elastic modules , shrinkage , fire
resistance .
As a building material
Structure- truss , foundation ,scaffolding
Elements - door , frame , window

Using timber in house construction is comparable to using bamboo, but it is easier to

handle. The use of timber in construction is customary worldwide. A structure of
timber can be combined with bamboo walls that will be plastered, and of course also
with other materials. One must take into account transportation costs and the
replanting of trees in the area where the wood was harvested.completely wooden
houses in dense urban areas is not recommended because of the danger of fires; this
aspect must always be considered and controlled also in non-regulated urban areas

2, compressed earth block

Traditional building materials such as clay, loam, and sand can be used in new ways,
such as with uniform, rectangular compressed earth blocks (CEB) and (interlocking)
stabilized soil (earth) blocks (SSB or ISSB). In both systems, the use of cement is
absent or minimized.In SSB, earth can be mixed with a low percentage of cement or
lime.As a professional-grade mix preparation is necessary, a field lab and training of
the labor force are required. CEB and SSB blocks are used Its thermal
features ,reduction of heating , cooling cost are effective for low cost For long term or
durability of compressed earth block treat the ground part with more sustainable
material like stone and concert then finish the wall with earth block.

3, adobe blocks

Adobe blocks are made from a mixture of clay-based soil, water,and sometimes straw.
Wet adobe is formed into bricks and then laid out to dry in the sun for several days.
The greatest disadvantage of adobe is its vulnerability to water and rain. Sometimes
adobe is locally regarded as ‘the material of the poor’, which may restrict its
application .Adobe blocks are used for the construction of walls, with wet adobe
serving as the mortar. Methods of construction vary considerably by climate. Most
homes have a coating of adobe on the outside to create a smooth surface, which can
be painted.
Adobe blocks only achieve as a health and low cost affordability but the performance
of the material is low .

4, inter locking blocks of recycled material

Interlocking bricks or building blocks can be used for building walls. These bricks are
available or are being developed in different shapes and sizes, for example by using
the principle of the well-known Lego blocks, or using comparable interlocking
building systems. If accurate dimensions of these bricks can be reached, they can be
clicked onto each other, and thus need little to no cement or mortar. If this is possible,
the blocks can even be reused in another building. Another advantage of these
building blocks is that the homes can be built from them quickly and by a committed
team of unskilled workers, volunteers and/or future residents. Moreover, it can be
used as building material for temporary houses, or emergency housing. The building
blocks have a good insulation value comparable to the common hollow concrete
blocks. Interlocking bricks can be used as an alternative to fired bricks, and they are
far more sustainable. The building material can be made of concrete in the form of
hollow concrete building blocks, solid soil cement blocks, concrete made of recycled
materials such as bricks, and recycled plastics, or recycled plastics mixed with organic
materials like rice husks.
They are solid and reused materials but the recycled materials are financially high

5, improved concrete blocks

They can built onsite structural part and out side part pre fabricated elements in
industry
Good-quality, basic homes can be built of hollow concrete blocks with a framework.
Traditionally built homes can be made with hollow concrete blocks so that they are
earthquake resistant and have good insulation values. This is a durable building
material that is used on a very large scale. If these blocks are locally produced using
local raw materials such as sand and pebbles, the material can be seen as rather
sustainable. Basic homes can be built faster with concrete panels that are sandwiched
between concrete piles and columns.

All of the building materials described above is sustainable in a certain way. The
possible applications of these materials depend on local and regional circumstances.
In each country or region,

Why building control are necessary

1, to create a good quality
Long lasting + environmentally friendly
2, disinvestment must be prevented
3, provision of technical assistance

NETSANET AYALEW
RAR/364/18
SEC 01