Astra Building Centre recently constructed a demo house in Emganweni suburb, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, utilising Hydraform Technology.
The city council of Bulawayo donated a site for the construction of the house and this has been handed over to a needy family from the city.
As with many other countries, Zimbabwe faces many problems in the housing sector, with many living in harsh conditions. The need to supply millions of people with quality housing is daunting and research is regularly conducted into finding alternative ways to build.
The demonstration house in Emganwini was constructed in the hope that people within the construction industry and Government, would be able to witness the Hydraform building technology first hand and discover that it is a great alternative to conventional building methods.
Using Hydraform technology allows you to save money on construction by cutting down on cement usage. No mortar is used with the interlocking blocks.
Transportation costs are cut down considerably as one can produce blocks on-site using locally dug soil; this means that one does not require delivery by truck from main cities.
In addition to saving money in developing quality housing it also allows for job creation. Many youth and woman have been trained to use Hydraform machines as it requires unskilled labour.
Astra Building Centre is urging the Government to adopt the technology as Zimbabwe currently has a housing backlog of over 1.5 million.
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