For over 30 years now, Habitat for Humanity has focused on building homes for the underprivileged. Over these years they developed themselves into what they are now: ‘A World Leading Organization in addressing the issues of Poverty Housing.
Habitat has many principles that ENVIU’s OS-House project has as well, such as affordable housing and sustainable housing, and they are good at what they do. In 2002 Habitat and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a house that would be both efficient and affordable. They actually did such a good job that they won the Energy Star New Millennium Builder Award in 2003 for designing, constructing and marketing the best high-performance homes.
Habitat is an international organization that builds quality houses at the lowest possible cost, but the standards are high. Although there is a social component to this organization, they do not give houses away for nothing. The home owners will have to be able to afford their mortgage and must be willing to partner with Habitat. Today Habitat has built over 300.000 houses worldwide and the number is rising quickly.
So how are the houses built?
Habitat works with volunteers that receive information and training about construction issues such as management and methods, building materials, energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, house design, and accessibility. When the training is complete, these volunteers work within local affiliates of Habitat that will eventually build the houses in their neighborhood.
Habitat uses various construction materials in order to adjust to the right climate, but it will always have an efficient use of materials in order to save money and to conserve natural resources. This efficient building already starts with the design by using the space of a house efficiently and by working with reusable and recyclable materials that can be found locally. In order to help this process Habitat has actually opened Restores where they sell reusable and surplus materials.
Although it might be common sense to many of us, Habitat stipulates in the first phase of building the importance of indoor air quality so problems such as moisture, mold, unintentional ventilation, radon and carbon monoxide won’t occur.
So how does this relate to the OS-House project?
The similarities between Habitat and the OS-House project are numerous. Both organizations are trying to develop on a non-profit base a sustainable affordable house. Many of its principles are the same, such as working with local materials, reusable materials, education and a larege of volunteers implementing the ideas are just a few of the many similarities. The good news is that Habitat has already shown that the concept can be successful. But if there is already a successful project that builds thousands of houses all around the world, why should Enviu be participating in a new project?
Well that is a point of discussion. First of all, OS-House works from the idea of great designs. It uses the knowledge and abilities of architects to design new houses. This might make the houses more attractive and therefore the buildings will not lose their value as fast. Secondly, OS-House is working open source and has experience to reach out to people which means that new ideas might develop faster than in a large organization as Habitat for Humanity.
Thirdly, Habitat works with volunteers in the building process. Although this process might work especially in developed countries, it undermines the market regulations. Especially in emerging markets, volunteer work is not always a sustainable working method.
Fourth, Habitat has a major organization backing up their finances from the developed work, OS-House does not. Therefore OS-House cannot rely on this method. It is vital to OS-House to design houses even better than Habitat is already doing. This is a great challenge!
Habitat for Humanity and OS-House have some major similarities. Since Habitat has been in de business for so many years, OS-House can learn a lot from this organization. At the end, however, OS-House should work out its own way because it wants the free market mechanism to do its work. And if it works it can enter a whole new way of building for the developing world! Keep your fingers crossed!
For more information about Habitat for Humanity, look at www.habitat.org.
For more information about this project look at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/building_america/36102.pdf for a truly interesting and detailed explanation of building methods.
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