Amaia: Quality, affordable homes for more Filipinos

Youve always nurtured this one dream. So, you get a college degree, get a job (and try to get a promotion), and maybe get married. Through life's harsh realities, you've kept this dream alive: owning your own home without breaking the bank - a home that may be low in cost but is high in quality, style, and modern-day comforts. Now, you can make your dream come true with Amaia, Ayala Land's first foray in the economic housing market, where the greater number of least-served Filipinos belong. Studies show that the low-income market makes up about 90 percent of the total demand for housing in the country. There's a shortage of 3.8M housing in the Philippines, primarily in the socialized and low-cost segment, which is mostly ignored by major property developers. And then came Amaia which changed the way we look at low-income housing, backed up by Ayala Land's untainted reputation for quality. As the economic housing arm of Ayala Land, Amaia hopes to uplift the living standards of many more Filipino households. A Financing Scheme You'll Love From Pag-Ibig Home sweet Amaia home! The sweeter news is that the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig), the government's leading home finance institution, has turned over P56.2M for the first batch of home borrowers for the first quarter and about P49M for the second quarter. Pag-Ibig is considered the most affordable and readily available home financing scheme in the country. "Pag-Ibig has the lowest interest rates and the longest payment terms," says Wilborn Famatigan, Pag-Ibig sales administration head. "And all employees can avail themselves of the facilities as long as they're members of PagIbig." By the end of 2011, Amaia expects to receive a total of about P200M funding commitment line from Pag-Ibig. That means 226 families can look forward to being homeowners of an Ayala Land property. Amaia Land has entered into a Window 1 partnership with Pag-Ibig so that should the home buyer default on payments, Amaia will buy back the property. The mere fact that you're dealing with an Ayala subsidiary makes you feel more secure. How affordable is this financing scheme? Home sweet Amaia: Young families find a stylish starter home at Amaia.

"You have the option to pay five percent of the selling price within six months, the balance either through Pag-Ibig or bank financing," Famatigan points out. "Or you can put a 10-percent down payment payable in 12 months, the balance either through Pag-Ibig or bank financing. The longest payment term is 30 years and monthly amortization is P4,000 plus." There are five financing schemes to choose from: cash payment, deferred payment, in-house financing, bank financing, and Pag-Ibig financing. With Amaia, Ayala Land, the country's premier real estate developer, takes a leap of faith and ventures into affordable economic housing. How affordable is affordable? Amaia's house-and-lot packages are affordably priced from P600,000 to P1,250,000. It is targeting to provide 10,000 units for 2011 and 15,000 for 2012. Affordable Style & Quality The target markets for these stylish starter homes are the hardworking middle-class Filipinos, the young professionals holding starting positions in business districts across the country, the start-up families who are first-time home buyers. "Our market profile includes young couples with a household income of P30,000 to P50,000; newlyweds who are building their homes for the first time; the OFWs or their dependents who are fortunate to have the chance to avail themselves of a reasonably priced project by a high-end developer." With the same quality standards and service Ayala Land has always been known for, Amaia offers home buyers the opportunity to own an Ayala Land property. Picture an environment-friendly community with lots of space devoted to greenery. Amaia aims to allot at least 3.5 percent of its total property for parks and open spaces. A welcome change, indeed, for urban dwellers who now don't have to live in a box in a poorly planned, polluted, and congested community. Amaia is kid-friendly, too, and ideal for young families as it provides venues for shared experiences - think Village Patio with a swimming pool, basketball court, playground, and courtyards called Patio Greens. Living Your Dream And now, this brooding question: How safe or secure is the neighborhood? Living in an Amaia community is like living in upscale communities known for safety and security like Forbes Park and Dasmarias Village in Makati. Every Amaia Scapes community is managed by the property management arm of Ayala Land, Ayala Property Management Corporation (APMC). Each development will be bordered by a perimeter fence. There are guarded entrances/exits. Residents and guests can count on the security guards, 24/7. All utilities, like water, power, road networks, will be under the watchful eye of APMC. Residents will receive the same management expertise of this group. Accessibility is a big plus, too, as Amaia developments are strategically located within city limits, within major commercial/business hubs for easy access and convenience. If not, they are very accessible via public transport and major highways.

One Amaia resident puts it pat: "Malapit sa lahat (accessible), may dating (a property you'll be proud of), napakadali (easy and affordable payment schemes), dekalidad (big on quality), paangat ang buhay (better lifestyle)." Surely, life can't get better than this. The Philippine Star By: Ching M. Alano 25 June 2011

http://www.amaialand.com/project_updates.php?id=3400

Invest in low-cost housing

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AA A By Katlene O. Cacho Tuesday, August 7, 2012

ASIDE from building high-end residential projects, real estate developers should also invest in low-cost housing projects to prevent a real estate bubble, an economist said Friday. Winston Conrad Padojinog, senior economist and dean of the School of Management at the University of Asia & the Pacific (UA&P) warned a real estate bubble may happen if developers will continue building high-end residential projects without serving the huge demand on socialized and low-cost housing. There is no glut yet but people are buying units not out of need but because of other purposes, like investment. It is important for developers to look into underserved markets so theyll be assured of sustained demand said Padojinog. Padojinog was one of the speakers during the UA&P Strategic Business Economic Program (SBEP) hosted by the UA&P/SBEPCebu Alumni Association in partnership with the Cebu Business Club in Marco Polo Hotel Cebu last Friday. He said buying more properties for other purposes is prone to speculation, which pushes property prices up. Padojinog said there is already an oversupply in certain property segments, specifically in the middle to high-end markets. Padojinog said that in order to avoid a bubble or asset inflation, the industry needs to address an underserved market. The country still has a huge housing backlog that needs to be addressed, said Padojinog. He said Cebus housing backlog is still 200,000 units. Prices of socialized to low-cost housing range from P400,000 to P3 million. Cebu Landmasters president and chief executive officer Jose Soberano III supported Padojinogs obse rvation, saying there is opportunity in the middle, low and socialized housing segments. He said his company is building residential projects that cater to the demand of the low income market segment. He also said a real estate bubble is nowhere in sight in our country.

It would be very difficult for developers to proceed on a project where the market is untested. If there is a slowing down o f highend development, it is with such realization that the demand of such products is waning, Soberano said in a text message yesterday. Padojinog also urged banks to extend loans to mainstream market or to consumers who can afford to borrow up to P3 million in residential loans. The BSP earlier reported that the exposure of the banking industry to the real estate sector reached its highest level at the end of the first quarter due mainly to record-high loans extended by banks to support purchases of residential and commercial real properties. Outstanding real estate loans extended by thrift and universal and commercial banks amounted to P524 billion. This was 21 percent up from P433.05 billion as of the same period last year. The BSP said the demand for real properties is being supported by the continued increase in remittances from overseas Filipinos. Supply of credit is also robust because banks remain awash with cash.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2012/08/07/invest-low-cost-housing-236307

Low-Income Housing That Anyone Would Love To Live In

Housing for the poor doesnt need to be horrible. The Richardson apartments in San Francisco are offering up high-class digs in the hopes of helping to lift its residents out of poverty.
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Low-income housing generally isnt all that nice; stories like this about single-room occupancy buildings (SROs) with infestations, leaking pipes, and overflowing toilets arent uncommon. Thats starting to change, however, now that cities are realizing that quality lowincome housing can provide a stepping stone to stability for residents. In San Franciscos Hayes Valley neighborhood, the recently completed Richardson Apartments provide formerly homeless residents (many with physical and mental disabilities) with beautiful living spaces and social services.

The SRO, a project of David Baker and Partners Architects, is part of a larger neighborhood redevelopment. After the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, a freeway that ran through the city became structurally unstable and collapsed. Now, decades later, projects like the Richardson Apartments are popping up below the site of the former freeway. The Richardson building was completed in September 2011. The 120-unit, five-story building is the kind of place that most city-dwellers would love to live in: It features sustainably harvested wood (including redwood and elm), a landscaped courtyard, a green roof, sunshades outside the apartment windows, solar hot water heating, solar panels, intelligent lighting controls, and low-VOC paints. The apartments also have amenities tailored to the population, including abuse-resistant drywall and cabinets, grab bars everywhere, and wheelchair-accessible showers. The building doesnt have car parking, but it does have parking for bikes--not that tenants would be likely to have a vehicle or even need one in this transit-rich neighborhood. With an average of 300 square feet per apartment, the living spaces in the building arent huge. But "all the things a formerly homeless person would need are right on site," explains Amit Price Patel, the project architect. That includes a counseling center, a medical suite, a community room, and a residents lounge. There are also retail spaces on the ground floor:

a Vietnamese sandwich shop, a picture frame shop, and most importantly for residents, a bakery and cafe that provides a "paid learning experience" for people who are disabled and homeless or at risk of becoming so.

The apartments are affordable for all who live there--residents pay 30% of their income as rent, up to a maximum of $870. And the building is saving money for the city, too. The 120 apartment residents used $2.4 million in city and medical services in the year before moving in. Its a cost that is being dramatically cut with the onsite medical clinic. Its not easy to get a spot in the Richardson Apartments; tenants are screened for violent tendencies, and if they make the grade, theyre put on a long list. The ones who get in love it. "Theyre extremely appreciative and really happy," says Patel. "They feel lucky." The Richardson Apartments arent one of a kind. San Francisco is in the process of developing a similar 120-unit building, and New York City has an array of quality lowincome housing. The situation is still dire for the many homeless and poor city residents who cant snag a spot in these places, however. Theres still a long way to go.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680603/low-income-housing-that-anyone-would-love-to-live-in#1

Affordable Housing
We believe that we can make a tremendous difference by helping to build affordable housing and better, more modern, and durable community infrastructure such as roads and sidewalks, schools, hospitals, parks, and other public spaces.

CEMEXs housing strategy is designed to address the significant housing deficits in developing countries, chiefly Mexico and the countries of South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Our goal is to demolish building and development paradigms that limit the affordability of home ownership for low-income families by establishing cooperative relationships among low income communities, government agencies, developers, and the financial sector.

Working with communities

CEMEXs low-income housing strategy is based on the notion that lower-income people are capable of paying for their own homes. Through our financing programs, including private microfinance, we enable low-income individuals and communities to buy building materials on favorable terms as a step toward homeownership. CEMEX then provides training programs, equipment, technology, and our own expertise to help customers build homes, businesses, and stronger communities.

Working with developers

CEMEX works hand-in-hand with private developers to bring needed resources, technology, and know-how to the development of low income housing. Where public policies facilitate financing to low income home buyers such as Mexico and Colombiadevelopers have shown avid interest in the low-income segment of the housing market. Their support has helped to significantly boost the supply of housing. More financing is needed, however, in order for small and medium-sized developers to make further progress.

To encourage developers to build more and better housing, we provide support through the CEMEX Vivenda initiative. Through this partnership we provide assessment, expertise, and introduce construction systems and financial programs that benefit both the developer and the end-user, promoting the building of more sustainable communities and more affordable housing that offer a higher quality of life. As of today, the CEMEX Vivienda initiative has supported developers construction of approximately 8,000 houses throughout Latin America.

http://www.cemex.com/SustainableDevelopment/AffordableHousing.aspx
Generally, most people who deal with low-cost housing will try to convince you to use indigenous materials. At first sight, that sounds quite logical, but when you try to equip that house according to today s life style, you ll get in trouble. Just imagine trying to install electrical installation in a house made of rock or palm leaves. So maybe we should look for other options. Case 1: This is one system I found looks pretty appropriate for that purpose to me. You basically shape the house out of Styrofoam (eps = expanded polystyrene foam) blocks and cover everything with concrete. Ok, it s not quite that simple, but basically what it is about. After having all the underground piping in place, you pour the slab. If you wish, look at the mix mentioned in Case 2 (below) and use it for this slab, to achieve some thermal insulation. Now you take your eps blocks, probably about 10 cm thick, and practically build your house with them. If the blocks are not tall enough, you can glue them together with diluted paper glue. And if the panels are too tall, it s easy to cut them. Even the roof, slightly slanted, can be made this way. After that you make all the cut-outs for doors and windows, and cut ruts for the electrical and hydraulic installation in the walls. Wherever you want to install a box for a switch, etc., cut out the hole, put the box in place with some cement, and temporarily fill it with paper. In a similar fashion prepare the places where you will have water faucets in the wall, or want to hang kitchen cabinets to it. In fact, in this case you will have to anchor the load bearing area heavily to the other side of the wall. Now you wrap all the walls with at least two layers of chicken wire, inside and out. About every 20 cm horizontally and vertically push a piece of baling wire through the foam and bend it over the chicken wire, to firmly hold it in place. The chicken wire should hardly make any contact with the foam. For that you either place pebbles between the wire mesh and the foam, or you can get plans for a machine that makes wavy chicken wire from watermortor@yahoo.com. As this guy only charges a nominal fee and doesn t do this for money, I guess it s ok to include his e-mail address here. Now you have to prepare a concrete slurry to shoot onto your walls. There are basically two types of equipment for that: gunnite and shotcrete. The difference is mostly if the water is added to the mix and then applied, or if the dry mix receives the water at the nozzle. There are many appropriate mixes for this purpose, and if you go to the archives of ferrocement.org (a free-of-cost discussion list) you ll find many ideas. Look for a mix that includes sharp sand, fly ash and fiber. This house should be one story high only, and therefore 3 cm thickness of concrete should be enough, though of course you ll have to check the details with an engineer or architect As you go shooting the concrete, somebody else with spread it out and flatten it with a trowel. Let it rest for a month, and then you can add fake brick, flag stone and any other kind of material to make the house look better. In the worst case, just paint it. Case 2: Now, in some countries you ll find that eps is quite expensive. In this case look for eps trash. Many stores have a big problem, needing to throw away huge quantities of eps stemming from the

packaging material for radios, TVs, etc. Pick it up; it s gold for you! Try to find a burr mill or anything that rips the eps chunks into little pieces, without creating too much dust. When you feel you have enough for the volume of your walls, prepare some molds to shape blocks of a suitable size. Prepare a little of the same mix as above (SHARP sand is crucial for this), add a little dish detergent (to get rid of the surface tension of the water) and add somewhat more than the same amount of eps by volume. Of course you should consult a building professional for this, too, and try a few different mix designs. Make a few blocks a day, until you have enough for your house. Then build your house like with ordinary cement (cinder) blocks. The roof can be made with approximately the same mix design, but also here you would have to make a few test mixes and consult a professional. And you can finish the house the same way as above. Case 3: There is an even cheaper way to build your house! Get a huge old top-loading washing machine and fill it half way with water. Now start the machine and slowly, very slowly add paper. As it dissolves it soaks up water and becomes thick. So make sure you don t add too much paper. Now add a little dish detergent again, a small shovel of cement, two shovels of sharp sand, and mix for 2-3 minutes. Make tests with different mixes, and then proceed to produce enough blocks for the whole house. Be careful not to move, vibrate or shake these blocks for at least three weeks, and cast them on a totally flat and sandy surface, so the excess water can run off. In fact, as these blocks are very light, you might want to produce narrow full-height panels. In any of these three cases you can build high-quality, insulated houses if you don t take any shortcuts and do consult a professional who is interested in modern construction systems. - If you are really interested in building a house like this, I can provide you with more in-depth information.

http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/184499/Three_examples_of_materials_and_systems_for_low_cost _housing.htm

Another Low-Cost Building Technology for the Poor Explored

In the aim to provide decent and affordable housing for the poor, Homeless Peoples Federation Philippines Inc. (HPFPI) and the Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives Inc. (PACSII) together with the Technical Assistance Movement for People and Environment, Inc. (TAMPEI) are continuously looking for and applying alternative building technologies like the Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks (ICEB) to various CLIFF housing project initiatives of the federation nationwide.

Last February 8, 2011 (Tuesday), community leaders and technical assistants of the Federation from NCR, Iloilo and Cebu had a site visit in First Home Subdivision in Navais, Mandurriao, Iloilo City to explore and learn from another low-cost building technology. The activity was facilitated by Engr. Joseph Asturias of Salvacion Infrastructure and Development Corporation (SIDC) with office-based in Negros Occidental in collaboration with Jockin Arputham, President of Slum Dwellers International (SDI), together with an Indian community engineer.

This alternative building material is called Plaswall, was introduced as one of the recent building technologies developed by Sterling Construction and Development Corporation (SCDC). Plaswall is made of two cement board and spacers (a hollow permanent concrete formwork) which should be filled with concrete (mixture of sand, water and cement). It is completely a load bearing wall with complete rendered finish which can be modified according to the shape of your choice or depending on your structural design. It is designed to carry loads such as beams and slabs and can also be a substitute for columns. It has faster speed of installation and requires significantly lower skilled labor to build high quality concrete homes and buildings at a shorter construction period.

During a short discussion about the building technology, some local architects working with the Federation found the material quiet expensive for low-cost housing in Philippine context. They reasoned out that the most expensive part of housing construction using plaswall is the filling-in of concrete mixture on its hollow part.

On the contrary, Jockin Arputham, SDI president showed great interest to adopt this kind of technology in Kenya where CLIFF housing is present and quiet expensive. He encouraged HPFPI-PACSII and TAMPEI to study the building technology and find means on how to make useful for the poor.

Dont look at the monetary value of the building technology but focus on how to make the material more affordable for the poor, Arputham stressed out.
http://homelessvisayas.blogspot.com/2011/02/exploring-alternative-building.html

Question
Can any one suggest cost effective materials for low cost housing?
For example in water supply and sewage system.
Mar 4, 2012

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Civil Engineering Share

1 / 0 26 ANSWERS 1630 VIEWS

ALL ANSWERS (26)

Praveen K C Anna University, Chennai various waste products from big industries has been converted into useful building materials which can be used for housing construction, it solving the problem of disposal on the one hand and providing better construction material at low cost on the other hand. Similarly some agricultural wastes (as rice husk) have also been converted into building materials, which are very much useful during reconstruction phase as low cost building materials. You may use this material for your water system.

Mar 5, 2012

Opeyemi Joshua Covenant University Ota Ogun State, Nigeria Look at hydrafoam interlocking bricks with less technical skill and made from abundant laterite though mostly stabilised with cement
Mar 5, 2012

Grzegorz Ginda University of Bielsko-Biala Please, take a look at this construction technology: http://www.lstech-homes.com/ It is based on novative and reliable materials. It is intended for quick, easy and rather cheap construction of (even not so small) buildings.
Mar 6, 2012

Nallaval Balaji Indian Institute of Science If you really want to know the cost effective and low carbon materials for low cost housing. Plz attend the workshop conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, IISc, Bangalore ."Energy Efficient Buildings Workshop Series on Low Carbon Materials and Building Systems" .
Mar 6, 2012

Sridhar Dulipeta Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Soil cement blocks with precast roofing would be cost effective in mass low cost housing
Mar 7, 2012

Naresh Naresh Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad Thank 4r all giving the rply
Mar 8, 2012

Amritesh Bhaskar Dayananda Sagar Institutions use of puzzolanas instead of cement saves lots of cost, though dis method is nt popular in india
Mar 10, 2012

Opeyemi Joshua Covenant University Ota Ogun State, Nigeria I might not have materials to suggest to you but respond to these questions. Where is your location? what major industrial waste is being generated in your location? what materials are abundant in your location? look for how to introduce the above answers into building and you might have a lower cost housing. Look also into hydraform blocks (stabilised laterite)
Mar 13, 2012

Premith Satish Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Opeyemi Joshua is rite.... the cheapest material which is best for a low cost construction comes from the construction site itself... find out which ever material is easily available to you and add up the cost of getting it transported to the site.. which i guess will heavily vary in the overall cost of construction. plus if it is a local material the local labor will be able to use it much more easily which will decrease the duration of construction, which will in-turn save to the construction cost of the project.
Mar 13, 2012

Naresh Naresh Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad Thanku guys for u r valuable rplys ............... Im gng on that work .....
Mar 15, 2012

Vivek Manekar Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology Paste of gunny bags, mica and lime can replace cement. Even fly ash can be used to replace the cement products.
Mar 19, 2012

Maina Mwega Kenya Polytechnic University College Any day I'd go for stabilized interlocking soil blocks. India is a major manufacturer of the requisite equipment.
Mar 20, 2012

Dhananjay Patil Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology Have u tried finding literature on "Bamboo" as a construction material, check out Paper-Crete can also be used for walling system for low cost housing
Mar 28, 2012

Deleted

Why don't use a material we actually do not need? Like rubbish? There would be some non recyclable materials or a mix of them that can have appreciated mechanical properties. For example if we could compress non recyclable residuals with a kind of bonding material maybe a strong brick can be generated! And there will be no need of digging to bury all this trash... (used tires are recyclable??
Mar 29, 2012

Mamdouh Donia Ain Shams University Use Aerated Concrete tech. such as Siporex blocks or wall bearing structures.
Apr 3, 2012

Subodh Prakash Agrawal Central Building Research Institute Availability of low cost material is limited. However, the construction cost may be reduced substantially by using prefabricated building elements such as walling panels, beams, roofing panels, pre-cast stairs, stone-cement blocks, demolition waste-cement blocks and tiles etc. This will reduce the use of supporting infrastructure a lot during construction.
Apr 10, 2012

Yee Loon Lee Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Kuikwall (www.lowcarbon.my)
Apr 21, 2012

Suchat Tamjaijitr Khon Kaen University

I suggest that you should start to look to the overall cost of building. You should take the bill of quantities and re-arrange the majority cost to the minority cost, then select the alternative material to the item which is majority cost of building. You will be able to make saving.
Sep 19, 2012

Daniel Hindman Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University I would echo Suchat's comment. You need to plan a holistic strategy - not just blind substitution of products. At the same time, you need to examine alternatives in your area. What you are talking about is a common thread I see in many posts related to sustainable/efficient structures. Also, do not foget about the life cycle - maintenance costs, deconstruction / demolition costs.
Apr 4, 2013

Seyed Ghaffar Brunel University Jute fibre reinforced cementitious composites

Apr 4, 2013

Peter Love Curtin University Australia Try using mud brick and focusing on embodied energy
Apr 10, 2013

Sundeep Singh Central Pollution Control Board Cost effectiveness depends on location, climate and type of housing one is considering for. Local material, durable and very important going by the material used in old housing in the locality will provide right solution for a sustainable and cost effective housing material. There are many materials

which are cost effective at one location but defies as location changes. Local soil bricks walls with wood (bamboo) based roof may be most economical in forest area whereas the same will be costly in urban locations. So, there is no generic answer on cost effective materials for housing as I understand.
Apr 11, 2013

Laith Al-Taie University of Mosul Well, I think the compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) is a promising solution. They are very cheap, soil + 10% cement as a maximum. The compressive strength is OK, good thermal insulation. These blocks are being used in many countries like Brazil, India and Sudan. The only weakness is the durability of the external faces to weather conditions, but that is also managed by cement rendering or thin metal sheet covering or even varnish coating.
May 31, 2013

Subodh Prakash Agrawal Central Building Research Institute For rural housing bamboo can be used for water supply with lower pressure heads. The internal segmented natural blocking may be removed and whole of the bamboo can be used for this purpose. Water based polymeric resin coating may also be incorporated to prevent the leakage.
Jun 7, 2013

Amol PAwar University of Pune The first focus shall be locally available materials. earth construction can be a better option, provided the rainfall conditions are not heavy in the area. If rains are heavy a better option is SMB Stabilized Mud blocks
Jun 7, 2013

Agnieszka Knoppik-Wrbel Politechnika lska

If you think about some saivings in base structure/foundation construction, think about lightweight porous concretes like foam concrete. Apart for very good thermal properties it can serve a stabilising or even structural role. Due to its relitevely - comparing to soil - mechanical properties it can be a perfect substitution of gravel bed. As a result: 1) you can decrease the thickness of the reinforced concrete structural layer of foundation structure, 2) minimise groundwork by succesful replacement of gravel and possiblity of settlement of the building within the freezing zone even in harsher climates, 3) provide thermal protection and increase overal energetic efficiency of the building.
Jun 11, 2013

http://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_any_one_suggest_cost_effective_materails_for_low_cost_hous ing

Low Cost Housing

Posted in Building, Civil Engineering Information | Email This Post |

Low Cost Housing is a new concept which deals with effective budgeting and following of techniques which help in reducing the cost construction through the use of locally available materials along with improved skills and technology without sacrificing the strength, performance and life of the structure.There is huge misconception that low cost housing is suitable for only sub standard works and they are constructed by utilizing cheap building materials of low quality.The fact is that Low cost housing is done by proper management of resources.Economy is also achieved by postponing finishing works or implementing them in phases. Building The building construction material cost cost cost : can be : 65 divided 65 to into two to 70 parts 70 Building Labour Cost namely: % %

Now in low cost housing, building material cost is less because we make use of the locally available materials and also the labour cost can be reduced by properly making the time schedule of our work. Cost of reduction is achieved by selection of more efficient material or by Areas wall. from an where cost improved can be reduced design. are:-

1) Reduce plinth area by using thinner wall concept.Ex.15 cms thick solid concrete block

2) Use locally available material in an innovative form like soil cement blocks in place of burnt brick. 3) Use energy efficiency materials which consumes less energy like concrete block in place of burnt brick. 4) Use environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional building components like use R.C.C. Door and window frames in place of wooden frames. 5) Preplan every component of a house and rationalize the design procedure for reducing the size of the component in the building. 6) By planning each and every component of a house the wastage of materials due to demolition of the unplanned component of the house can be avoided. 7) Each component of the house shall be checked whether if its necessary, if it is not necessary, then that component should not be used. Cost Foundation Normally the foundation cost comes to about 10 to 15% of the total building and usually foundation depth of 3 to 4 ft. is adopted for single or double store building and also the concrete bed of 6(15 Cms.) is used for the foundation which could be avoided. It is recommended to adopt a foundation depth of 2 ft.(0.6m) for normal soil like gravely soil, red soils etc., and use the uncoursed rubble masonry with the bond stones and good packing. Similarly the foundation width is rationalized to 2 ft.(0.6m).To avoid cracks formation in foundation the masonry shall be thoroughly packed with cement mortar of 1:8 boulders and bond stones at regular intervals. It is further suggested adopt arch foundation in ordinary soil for effecting reduction in construction cost up to 40%.This kind of foundation will help in bridging the loose pockets of soil which occurs along the foundation. In the case black cotton and other soft soils it is recommend to use under ream pile foundation which saves about 20 to 25% in cost over the conventional method of construction. reduction through adhoc methods

Plinth It is suggested to adopt 1 ft. height above ground level for the plinth and may be constructed with a cement mortar of 1:6. The plinth sl ab of 4 to 6 which is normally adopted can be avoided and in its place brick on edge can be used for reducing the cost. By adopting this procedure the cost of plinth foundation can be reduced by about 35 to 50%.It is necessary to take precaution of providing impervious blanket like concrete slabs or stone slabs all round the building for enabling to reduce erosion of soil and thereby avoiding exposure of foundation surface and crack formation. Walling Wall thickness of 6 to 9 is recommended for adoption i n the construction of walls all-round the building and 41/2 for inside walls. It is suggested to use burnt bricks which are immersed in water for 24 hours and then shall be used for the walls Rat trap bond wall It is a cavity wall construction with added advantage of thermal comfort and reduction in the quantity of bricks required for masonry work. By adopting this method of bonding of brick masonry compared to traditional English or Flemish bond masonry, it is possible to reduce in the material cost of bricks by 25% and about 10to 15% in the masonry cost. By adopting rat-trap bond method one can create aesthetically pleasing wall surface and plastering can be avoided. Concrete block walling In view of high energy consumption by burnt brick it is suggested to use concrete block (block hollow and solid) which consumes about only 1/3 of the energy of the burnt bricks in its production. By using concrete block masonry the wall thickness can be reduced from 20 cms to 15 Cms. Concrete block masonry saves mortar consumption, speedy construction of wall resulting in higher output of labour, plastering can be avoided thereby an overall saving of 10 to 25% can be achieved. Soil cement block technology It is an alternative method of construction of walls using soil cement blocks in place of burnt bricks masonry. It is an energy efficient method of construction where soil mixed with 5% and above cement and pressed in hand operated machine and cured well and then used in the masonry. This masonry doesnt require plastering on both sides of the wall. The overall economy that could be achieved with the soil cement technology is about 15 to 20% compared to conventional method of construction. Doors and windows It is suggested not to use wood for doors and windows and in its place concrete or steel section frames shall be used for achieving saving in cost up to 30 to 40%.Similiarly for

shutters commercially available block boards, fibre or wooden practical boards etc., shall be used for reducing the cost by about 25%.By adopting brick jelly work and precast components effective ventilation could be provided to the building and also the construction cost could be saved up to 50% over the window components. Lintals and Chajjas The traditional R.C.C. lintels which are costly can be replaced by brick arches for small spans and save construction cost up to 30 to 40% over the traditional method of construction. By adopting arches of different shapes a good architectural pleasing appearance can be given to the external wall surfaces of the brick masonry. Roofing Normally 5(12.5 cms) thick R.C.C. slabs is used for roofing of residential buildings. By adopting rationally designed insitu construction practices like filler slab and precast elements the construction cost of roofing can be reduced by about 20 to 25%. Filler slabs They are normal RCC slabs where bottom half (tension) concrete portions are replaced by filler materials such as bricks, tiles, cellular concrete blocks, etc.These filler materials are so placed as not to compromise structural strength, result in replacing unwanted and nonfunctional tension concrete, thus resulting in economy. These are safe, sound and provide aesthetically pleasing pattern ceilings and also need no plaster. For more on filler materials check Filler Materials Used in Concrete Jack arch roof/floor They are easy to construct, save on cement and steel, are more appropriate in hot climates. These can be constructed using compressed earth blocks also as alternative to bricks for further economy. Ferrocement channel/shell unit Provide an economic solution to RCC slab by providing 30 to 40% cost reduction on floor/roof unit over RCC slabs without compromising the strength. These being precast, construction is speedy, economical due to avoidance of shuttering and facilitate quality control. Finishing Work The cost of finishing items like sanitary, electricity, painting etc., varies depending upon the type and quality of products used in the building and its cost reduction is left to the individual choice and liking. Conclusion The above list of suggestion for reducing construction cost is of general nature and it varies depending upon the nature of the building to be constructed, budget of the owner,

geographical location where the house is to be constructed, availability of the building material, good construction management practices etc. However it is necessary that good planning and design methods shall be adopted by utilizing the services of an experienced engineer or an architect for supervising the work, thereby achieving overall cost effectiveness to the extent of 25% in actual practice.

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