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<pre>Dear all,
I'm seriously concerned about the idea of using S.B. in Haiti.
Lets start with an advice from the real world:
--------------------------
A REPORT FROM PATRICK TAKEN FROM PERMACULTURE LISTSERVE<a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tagonist.livejournal.com/201318.html?style=mine#cutid1"></a>
This is my final report on the expedition to Haiti, from 23 Jan to
4 Feb. I travelled as a medical relief worker...[abridged]...My primary concerns about Haiti from here on out are not medical, but
relate instead to the idea of rebuilding, and the development issues
that go along with it. With the US military ceding food distribution to
civilian agencies, the relief effort has begun to take seriously the
question of what happens next for Haiti, and what model, economic and
physical, should guide Port Au Prince into the future. I have even
begun to overhear, on the internet and through word-of-mouth, of
specific efforts to send engineers to help construct permanent housing
for the displaced poor. <b>These rumours range from the established civil
engineering model to wilder "permaculture" plans to build straw-bale
houses (in a wet, tropical country without grain agriculture, no less!)</b>
to more practical determinations to assist poor people in reassembling
the informal and improvised houses they occupied before the tend cities.
With respect, I can't imagine a worse use of informal resources or donated
money...[continues here, going in depth about the repeat ignoring of the Haitian poplulation:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://tagonist.livejournal.com/201318.html?style=mine#cutid1">http://tagonist.livejournal.com/201318.html?style=mine#cutid1</a>]
-------------------------
</pre>
Yes, Rob Tom, Haiti likely have rice straw, however due to extreme
logging the topsoil is screaming of carbon depletion, and are in badly
need for any bit of straw which exists.<br>
<br>
What I'm seeing in this approach of a straw bale 'cure all' is in
contradiction with one of the basic issues I teach about Natural
Building: "Don't build and Igloo in a Desert" E.g.; One solution
doesn't necessarily fit everywhere. <br>
Sara; I have deep respect for Paksbab's SB aid work in Pakistan (where
it get pretty cold), however fact is that the amount of SB houses built
through Paksbab in Pakistan is a fraction compared to the 2-3000 cob
cabins which got initiated by Caroline Meyer White at same time, same
place. (Unfortunately a rather cold construction technique).<br>
<br>
Haitians are reputedly not likely to easily accept significant new
designs to housing. Historically/culturally they have had too much
pushed onto them from outside, so it doesn't seem sustainable to import
concepts like domes, yurts, earth-ships etc. To quote the book
'Building Without Borders': I'd like to
quote part of chapter 6; 'Sustainable Settlements: Rethinking
Encampments for Refugees and Displaced Populations' by Cameroon M.
Burns in the book 'Building Without Borders';<br>
<br>
<i>"There are endless stories from refugee camps where well-meaning aid
organisations have provided advanced technological devices, the best
food stuffs, and other new expensive materials that simply do not match
the economic, educational, cultural and geographic realities of the
situation. Dr. Rasmussen feels strongly that such situations call for
an overlapping integratoin of players from diverse backgrounds. He
thinks the sustainability community's approach of understanding an
entire system before attempting a solution might be the appropriate
approach in refugee settlements."</i><br>
<br>
.. in same chapter, on page 181, a central point is made in regards to
site planning and socio-cultural sustainability: "The point to remember
here is that the refugees themselves are the experts' (Following this
is a 50-question survey to the refugees about site planning.<br>
...and I might add that it's on page 168, where a photo title states: <i>"Abandoned
geodesic domes in Gubai. Most relief efforts are useless at best and
destructive at worst. These structures [for 225 families] donated by an
aid agency, do not reflect the traditional patterns of the local people
and thus have been rejected by them"<br>
</i><br>
Haiti needs housing. Lots of housing. Fast. About the only readily
materials are earth and concrete rubble. <br>
Some bamboo exists, as does a
special type of long grass which likely could substitute straw in cob.<br>
<br>
>From listening to a month of ideas, facts and input on <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://lists.permaculturehaiti.org/mailman/listinfo/pcrelief">http://lists.permaculturehaiti.org/mailman/listinfo/pcrelief</a>
, I tried to the best of my knowledge
(and I've never been to Haiti, or actively done relief work!) to
analyze which materials, designs and techniques seemed most
appropriate. My result
for small family shelters the building
of 1000's of simple rectangular shelters out of bamboo re-enforced (in
hexagon grids!) cob, with light weight roof structures with fair
overhang and significantly 2 doors: That way an initial small shelter
can easily become simply a room in a larger house in due time. And I
need to emphasize: with the help of this<a
href="http://permalot.org/files/u2/Czech_cob_mixing_machine.pdf">
simple low-tech earth mixing machine</a>, (which can be made for
electricity or diesel), it would be a very fast process of building
such shelters for the urban/rural areas. Such buildings could be
constructed in a speed of one per day for each cob machine and a 10+
person team. Much slower than the OSB-shelters at Hurricane Catherina,
however these are close to free, healthy, regulates climate and the
inclusive process teach the inhabitants how to expand them once the
time is better."<br>
<br>
I still haven't heard from BWB what is wrong with this reasoning and
suggestion,
apart from the fact that it's not as interesting from a creative
artistic minded foreigners view point? ;o). By the way, here's a link
to the quake tests: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/programs/cob/journal/journal.htm">http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/programs/cob/journal/journal.htm</a>
. It notes that embedding bamboo would likely be sufficient to make it
last past a scale 9 quake!<br>
<br>
One our board members of NBN is about to go to Haiti to do a recon,
(unfortunately predominantly to consider SB building!). Several cob
builders and community designers have offered to get
involved, and I'm in process of making a funding proposal for such
solution. Anyone interested to help are welcome to contact
me directly, or simply by registering here:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://nbnetwork.org/nb/rebuild">http://nbnetwork.org/nb/rebuild</a>
We also have an offer of help setting up micro-business with
light-weight concrete roof tiles.<br>
<br>
None-the-least I personally can't grasp the idea of using straw due to
the hot/wet tropical climate; I still have to find time to try to
persuade Derek that earthen buildings are best suited for heat
regulation in tropic climate; I've never been too hot inside a thick
earthen wall! (If any of you have the data readily available, then
please forward it to me).<br>
<br>
All in all; In general I'm very much in favor of building with straw
bales, but I simply can not see that it is a good solution for Haiti.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Max Vittrup Jensen<br>
<br>
Director, PermaLot Centre of Natural Building <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.permalot.org">www.permalot.org</a><br>
Director, Events and Marketing, Natural Building Network, <a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.nbnetwork.org">www.nbnetwork.org</a><br>
<br>
PS: I haven't received Derek's initial post; perhaps it's only on the
international list, and I only subscribe to the euro list?
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