These Lego-style homes can withstand earthquakes and cost under $5,000 to build
India has a history of intense earthquakes. In the past two years, the country has suffered seven quakes and aftershocks — the highest hitting a 7.8 on the Richter Scale. Auroville isn't known for earthquakes, but if the first phase goes well, the team will build the homes in natural disaster-prone zones.
The Full Fill Home can resist earthquakes, Kundoo says. The team is, however, still testing what level earthquake the homes can withstand.
The home's strength comes from a material called ferrocement, a plaster painted over metal wire mesh and rod reinforcements.
The home is made from stacked blocks of ferrocement. They're only an inch thick, but the foundation's flexible wire mesh absorbs any violent shakes.
Kundoo says ferrocement is more durable and lightweight than reinforced cement concrete (the material used to build most homes in India), which can fall on top of people in large chunks during earthquakes.
In just six days, a construction team can build the homes. There are unlimited configurations.
The prototype measures about 400 square feet with a small terrace.
The blocks, which also serve as storage, look like hollow boxes turned on their side. The photos show voids between the blocks, but they can also be filled with more blocks.
The homes cost about $4,400 to build, including labor and materials. The price could be lower if multiple homes were built together.
Kondoo designed the homes with speed and cost in mind. When you need to rebuild your home after an earthquake, you don't have a lot of time and resources, she says.
Since more people are moving to cities, we need stronger buildings that can be built quickly and cheaply when natural disasters strike, Kundoo believes. "We are at the crossroads regarding the way we build buildings and cities," she says.
The homes in Auroville will be the first real-life tests of the structures.
Solving housing mustn’t be a tedious process depleting life’s savings," Kundoo says. "People should [have] a roof over their heads as simply as possible and move on, liberating their time to develop themselves and focus on living itself.
![Solving housing mustn’t be a tedious process depleting life’s savings," Kundoo says. "People should [have] a roof over their heads as simply as possible and move on, liberating their time to develop themselves and focus on living itself.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53102976,width-700,height-525,imgsize-182337/solving-housing-mustnt-be-a-tedious-process-depleting-lifes-savings-kundoo-says-people-should-havea-roof-over-their-heads-as-simply-as-possible-and-move-on-liberating-their-time-to-develop-themselves-and-focus-on-living-itself-.jpg)
If you'd like to learn more or support this project, head over to the Full Fill Home's site.
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