Expression of Interest for Registering Potential

Affordable Housing Partnership Opportunities with

the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements
– LIGNA HOMES PROPOSAL – August 2017
CONTEXT
Millions of South Africans live in potential harmful living
conditions without realising small practical changes might
lead to tremendous improvement in their health and living
experience. Technology and more important green design
principles has the potential to save valuable resources and
improve health as well as social experience.

The housing (including all house markets) challenge in South

Africa is not necessarily resource related, but rather
understanding and applying fundamental design principles
such as airtightness, large roof overhangs, sufficient
ventilation, design for moisture and fire.
 CONTEXT…
In terms of formal electricity, South Africa relies mainly on a
few large coal and nuclear plants to generate energy and is
distribute across the country. In addition, people in informal
settlements relies heavily on biomass, coal, paraffin or gas
for energy, especially for heating and cooking. Indoor and
even wrong outdoor exposure carry many health risks.

Millions of piped litres of water are required to sustain South

Africa’s current sanitation networks. Conventional flush
toilets use approximately nine litres per flush. Drinking water
quality in informal settlement in many areas in South Africa
is not save for human consumption.
Education in design is key to
successful transformation of
human settlements in formal
and informal housing
developments.
Skills training and design
thinking
Education in design is key to successful transformation of
human settlements in formal and informal housing
developments. As part of the Ligna house proposal, we
strongly and firstly support skills training and design training
to form part of new or upgrade developments.

If you build one house. One person receives a house. If you

train one builder, millions of people can receive a home.
Ligna homes are design with human health, fire safety,
water optimization and wellbeing in mind. Eco friendly and
affordable. Simple to build and simple to disassemble. The
perfect living solution.
want big impact?
USE BIG IMAGE
VALUE PROPOSITION
Ligna homes are modular in nature and can be
easily build off site to reduce building waste,
construction time and transport. Factory based
component manufacturing does not only increase
building quality and indoor climate performance, but
also allow for world class training experience.

Ligna homes comprise superior environmental

rated building materials, water saving technology,
airtight construction, excellent ventilation and fire
treated walls. Effective combination of affordable
building materials and green design principles
makes Ligna homes an excellent informal
settlement alternative or student-housing solution.
TECHNICAL SOLUTION

Design Train Build

Design rational
Globally forest plantations and managed forests for commercial use has
increased in area and in environmental importance. As part of
photosynthesis, trees take up carbon dioxide. They then store carbon and
release oxygen. When trees are harvest and used for building materials,
stored carbon can remain for centuries. At the same time (in plantation
forestry) new trees are planted that increase the carbon storing and
oxygen producing effect.

Fast growing trees i.e. pines and eucalyptus offers many advantages as
biomaterial compared to alternative materials such as steel and cement.
Leading South African water research shown that plantation forestry in SA
uses approximately 4% of our annual precipitation. That is very little
compared to huge amounts of other agricultural segments and mining
water use/pollution – not to mention dramatic municipal waste due to pipe
leaks and failures. Proper plantation forestry also plays an important role
in water purification, soil quality and numerous other ecosystem services.
Hence, Ligna (latin for wood) homes.
Biligom materials
Since the Ligna home foundation, floor,
wall and roof structure are timber based,
sourcing sustainable raw material is of
great significance, especially in terms of
scale-up. Biligom (locally produced green
glued Eucalyptus structural timber, see
website, http://biligom.co.za/), was
selected as the perfect structural building
solution.

Biligom is manufacture from five to eight-

year old trees, treated with latest green
TanilthE treatment and result excellent
strength integrity. The resource is infinitely
sustainable and renewable. One hectare of
5 year-old Eucalyptus timber produces raw
material for building 100 Ligna homes (size
as seen in proposal). South Africa has 1.2
million hectares under Pine and
Eucalyptus plantations. If we use 100 000
hectares to produce Biligom timber, we
can build two million Ligna homes per year
– in truly sustainable way.
Building materials
Plywood and OSB were
select as the second major
building material in building
these homes. Both Plywood
and OSB offers excellent
strength and if sourced
correctly, renewable integrity.
Ligna homes structure
FOUNDATION AND ROOF
FLOOR Biligom trusses and purlins
Depending on the site together with low VOC water
and use of a Ligna home, based sealed, exterior
WALLS
foundation might vary. grade, 18mm plywood were
Timber frame studs spaced
For example, pole select for roof and ceiling
at 600mm and 105mm wide
foundation are structure. As roof cover,
constituted the wall frame.
recommend in flood and standard and readily
OSB boards were select for
slope terrains, concrete available zinc corrugated,
interior and exterior cladding.
foot block in semi- 0.47mm thick sheeting were
Exterior walls are fire char
permanent application. use. Again, double-sided
treated. This fire technique
aluminium reflective foil was
acts as fire, moisture and
wrap over the entire
fungal retardant. Internal
plywood/ceiling structure,
panels were low VOC water
below roof sheeting.
based sealed. Double-sided
aluminium reflective foil was
wrap around the entire wall
structure, underneath
external OSB cladding. This
acts as extra insulation,
moisture block, fire retardant
and helps with airtightness.
Walls
Exterior walls are fire
char treated. This fire
technique acts as fire,
moisture and fungal
retardant.
Ligna homes structure
TOILET AND SHOWER WATER
Water-less toilets or composting toilets are Very, very important
growing in popularity and use in developed for health. Adding
countries. Water-less toilets work on the mineral salts, boiling
simple principle of organic bedding or water or adding
covering medium in combination with purification drops
composting and recycling. Most prescribed recommended for
covering mediums are wood based and most development
increase demand will greatly help many SA areas in the world.
sawmills with wood shavings excess. Ligna
homes include water-less toilets and training
in maintaining compost recycling (photo of
compost bin). Ligna Homes occupants
requires less than 40l per person per day.

Ligna homes come standard with a small

shower. The shower floor is 100mm beneath
floor surface, which enables easy gravity
flow from small geyser urn and proper
moisture run-off.
Hygine, health and safety
Low VOC’s, Fire extinguisher,
Effective concealed fire oven,
Water purification/saving
awareness, Warm shower/bath,
Stack and cross ventilation,
Composting toilet and
recycling.
Ligna homes structure
ENERGY AND VENTILATION AND FOOTPRINT AND
ELECTRICITY TECHNICAL DESIGN LAYOUT
Three recommended Window area, door design 3.6 x 4.2m. Sleeps two
sources. Solar PV and positioning creates easy with Bunk beds OR
system for lights and stack and cross ventilation Loft. Small shower and
cell phone. options. This allows Ligna toilet nook. Front deck
Conventional (small homes to vent excellently included. Adaptable and
geyser urn for warm and deliver constant fresh scalable design options.
water and Induction air flow when desired.
stove for cooking).
Efficient rocket stove Large overhangs ensures
burner for heating moisture prevention and
and cooking direct radiation on facade.
purpose. Energy Elevated floor structure
source depends on allows for quick and easy
location and plumbing and electrical
resource availability. linking and prevent
flooding, moisture
accumulation and fungal
attack.
2018
Train and Build
 AFFORDABILITY AND SCALABIILITY
Costs and training per Ligna home unit

Materials and
45 000
appliances

Skilled Labour 20 000

Training unskilled
labour or future
home owner PER PERSON 10 000
(optional, but
recommended)
Overheads and
10 000
Administration

Total (ZAR) 75 000

Total (ZAR) INCLUDING

85 000
TRAINING
 DESIRED MARKET ACCESS AND
ROLL-OUT

our
office

Informal settlements/upgrades within flood, wetland or fire prone areas. Transitional housing
(Mineworkers, Students and Refugees).
 Our process is easy

Train and prepare

modular units and Deliver and install
Plan and design required building
sanitation systems housing units and
development and layout
(Grabouw and technology
Stellenbosch)
 TEAM EXPERIENCE
Member 1 Member 2 Member 3
10 years Wood 18 years Wood 30 years Timber
Science and Product Mechanics and Frame Development
development and Processing and and Business
http://biligom.co.za/ http://biligom.co.za/ Director, Rustic
R&D team member, R&D team member, Homes
Stellenbosch Stellenbosch
University University

Member 4 Member 5
20 years Business Director of Waterwell
Development and - Water Purification
Skills Training, and Mineral Salts,
Compuscan South Africa
7 500 000
That’s a lot of SA people who desires basic services and proper housing

100 000
Hectares will yeild enough sustainable Biligom timber to build 2 million off
the grid Ligna homes per year and potential housing for 4 million people

1
Farm and trained builders will start the African housing revolution
You can copy&paste graphs from Google Sheets
Thanks!
Any questions?
You can contact us at Ligna Homes
E pcrafford@sun.ac.za
C +2782 731 4975