Towards populization of low cost building materials and technologies for urban housing in developing countries

Abstract

This paper is based on a literature review and an e valuation of practices that have been I place with respect to low cost building materials and technolo gies so as to lower costs and hence make the buildings, especially housing for the majority urba n poor who have meager resources and hence cannot afford conventionally built houses. The paper utilized both secondary data from the lit erature, and an empirical study of pilot projects that have been constructed in different regions of Kenya by utilizing traditional architectural resear ch techniques akin to observational techniques in the social sciences, augmented by open-ended interviews and discussions with the different actors in the ad vocacy and use of low cost materials and technologi es in building. This study found out that topmost of the constraint s that hinder wider application and universalism for the alternative materials and technologies is l argely due to both lack of standards and specificat ions, and also information by the general populace about them. Otherwise I general, the alternative materials and their technologies are quite economic al, durable, sanitary and safe in construction as attested to my findings from the case studies for t his paper