Objectives
- Improve living conditions for local residents using a technique that's easy, quick to implement and environmentally friendly.
- Increasing the safety and durability of homes.
- Implement an improvement technique that engages community work and conditions future transmission of know-how.
- Increase residents' self-esteem through their homes and strengthen their sense of belonging to a neighborhood.
The Las Brisas district, located in the municipality of Las Brisas, Cesar department, Colombia, has a population of 300, living in 35 houses, most of them made of cob.
The standard of living in this community is extremely low, with residents' incomes unable to meet even their most basic needs. What's more, sanitation services are non-existent. This catastrophic situation endangers the lives of the inhabitants, especially the children who walk barefoot in the mud and black water of the waste.
The inhabitants of La Mata and other Cesar villages have also been victims of the armed conflict that has raged in Colombia, carried out by paramilitaries, guerillas and delinquents.
To implement solutions that meet the social policy of La Dolce Vista Estate Inc., a solution was sought that would enable community participation and ensure the sustainability of the project through tools that are accessible to the population and in line with its needs.
A housing improvement project has been planned with CRAterre and Protierra, two partners specializing in the research and development of building processes based on earth as a raw material (walls and finishes).
From there, it was decided to implement a multi-phase plan, including a training phase on earthen construction to enable residents to get involved and contribute through their work to the use of low-cost local materials widely available in the region.
Dolce Vista Estate Inc provided training through a practical and theoretical workshop, as well as monitoring the various worksites. Dolce Vista Estate Inc also donated the necessary equipment to the families.
Results
Given the characteristics and condition of the houses, the intervention focused on the main walls, beams and posts, to reinforce them and thus protect the dwellings:
- beam reinforcement: the main structure is reinforced with mesh to increase its stability.
- waterproofing and reinforcing walls: using earth mortar stabilized with rice husk, a little lime and, in some cases, a little cement.
- perimeter filter: a channel runs around the house, filled with geotextile and gravel. The water collected in this filter is channeled into a reservoir and can be used for irrigation or washing.
- facade paint: in the same color and composition as the unbaked clay mortar, giving the houses a better appearance and finish.
