even more gabion houses in Grand Goave, Haiti

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Conscience International is doing alot with rubble and housing in Haiti on the southern finger of that nation in Grand Goave, which was 90% destroyed in last year's earthquake. I visited the nearby towns Fouche of Petit Goave, on either side of Grand Goave, last year. Their website is full of pictures, construction drawings, volunteer opportunities, funding, and video from a report by the Discovery Channel. They have done engineering for these houses. They don't seem to use a bunch of gabions to layer up a wall, but single cages for each wall. It's very impressive and earthquake safe as well as hurricane safe and thug safe, for about $3500. They are also trying to avoid sourcing any materials at all from outside of Haiti. They want to support Haiti, and Haitian businesses, as well as abundantly available Haitian labor. If you have any ability to contribute to this effort please do. They seem to be ahead of the progress of Oxfam in this style of house, see this note by an Architecture for Humanity blogger in Haiti, noted in an earlier post here.
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Comments

Jeremy Holloman said…
Thanks for the good publicity. As far as I know, all of the houses in Croix-de-Bouquets with the exception of the one in the Oxfam picture were built by us.

In Dave Hampton's photo, our home is the one on the right. It was the third one that we ever built, so the design has evolved a good bit since then, but it was the catalyst that made Haven decide to go ahead with gabion baskets.

Thanks again,

Jeremy Holloman
Conscience International
March 17, 2011
John Umland said…
You are very welcome. If I had the time, I would join a team to build these with you guys. I think it is great that you guys are re-using rubble, making something stronger than anything made of weak Haitian block, but still using all Haitian materials. Please post more pictures on your blog.
God is good
jpu
March 17, 2011
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