They are doing it in Mexico - recycling plastic and creating panels for cheap housing.
- Thread starter Chip
- Start date
Affordable housing construction
They are doing it in Mexico - recycling plastic and creating panels for cheap housing.
Chip, I know we have our differences, but I also know you have your heart in the right place. You are trying to set up a good thing here, which I honestly admire.
I am not an engineer like you, but I have worked for over 15 years as a sales director for some of the worlds leaders in plumbing and heating, and have therefore met with architects, engineers, constructors, etc...
Your idea is essentially a good one, but, and now I am talking management here, unless you can strike a deal with the company doing it in Mexico, you are in for some nasty surprises.
A mold for one wall will easily cost you 100,000$. You will need at least 2. Then you will have to convince a company to produce them for you, and they will want numbers. You might want to do it non-profit, and I applaud you for that, but the company producing them will not do it non-profit. I agree the cost of a wall will be next to nothing, but only once the mold has been paid for.
Your second problem is your pricing. Yes, 13,000$ for a house is not expensive. But you have to add the price of the land, and how many lower middle class Dominicans, or Haitians can afford to pay that.
If I make the calculation of a normal Dominican family, both partners working, they would need at least a 10-year loan,with normal interest, to pay for it.
My proposal to you is to work out your idea, get the figures straight, and then talk to some high finance backers, who can afford to walk away, and take the loss, if it would not work out.
No disrespect intended, you are the engineer, your intentions are good, but a lot more homework is needed. I hope you succeed.
BelgianK
I am not an engineer like you, but I have worked for over 15 years as a sales director for some of the worlds leaders in plumbing and heating, and have therefore met with architects, engineers, constructors, etc...
Your idea is essentially a good one, but, and now I am talking management here, unless you can strike a deal with the company doing it in Mexico, you are in for some nasty surprises.
A mold for one wall will easily cost you 100,000$. You will need at least 2. Then you will have to convince a company to produce them for you, and they will want numbers. You might want to do it non-profit, and I applaud you for that, but the company producing them will not do it non-profit. I agree the cost of a wall will be next to nothing, but only once the mold has been paid for.
Your second problem is your pricing. Yes, 13,000$ for a house is not expensive. But you have to add the price of the land, and how many lower middle class Dominicans, or Haitians can afford to pay that.
If I make the calculation of a normal Dominican family, both partners working, they would need at least a 10-year loan,with normal interest, to pay for it.
My proposal to you is to work out your idea, get the figures straight, and then talk to some high finance backers, who can afford to walk away, and take the loss, if it would not work out.
No disrespect intended, you are the engineer, your intentions are good, but a lot more homework is needed. I hope you succeed.
BelgianK
My goal is to discuss options. I have no capital to invest in anything. I did get contacted by an NGO so who knows what could happen. With all the plastic here in the landfills on both sides of the island it could be that this is at least a break even business in the mid term.
A typical concrete home w/conc floors and zinc roof but instead of block it would have some type of panels. That's the concept.
Chip, exactly my point. you do not have the capital, nor do I, and I doubt a lot of individuals interested in this. You need to have the molds made, a factory to recycle the plastic, and the financial backing for this... I doubt an NGO is able to do this.
You are talking big bucks to get this of the ground. Not 100 or 200 grand, you are talking Millions.
But I applaud you for your efforts, and ideas.
BelgianK
Thanks BK but I don't believe it requires an investment of that scale. I think based on what I've seen it can be done for a whole lot less than millions of dollars. This is a hot topic and thriving business in Latin America now.
- EL MUNDO | Suplemento de Su vivienda 476 - Ladrillos reciclados para construir casas baratas
chip, back home we've head for ages houses built from something like cement panels, for the lack of the better word. fortified with steel bars, of course. so what about pre-fabricated panels of some sort? i know that in europe there are plenty of new technologies using anything from wood to kinda plastic like elements for house building. there must be something similar that could be used here...
btw, i would not go ridiculously big as you suggest. 185 sq meters? this is huge. most dominicans have very small houses, saves on the cost of land as well and permits a small vegetable garden on the side. i would go for houses that are 50-70 sq meters, this is plenty. 50 meters will have enough space for sala-cocina, one bathroom and three small bedrooms, just about big enough to fit one double bed (or two singles) and a small chest of drawers (build in wardrobe is a must).
a bathroom can easily be 2x2, enough space to fit a small shower, sink and a toilet. dominicans do not spend much time bathing and grooming in the bathroom, it's a wash and go space (i do not mean here dominicans are dirty, just that they do not linger inside the bathroom soaking and pampering).
btw, i would not go ridiculously big as you suggest. 185 sq meters? this is huge. most dominicans have very small houses, saves on the cost of land as well and permits a small vegetable garden on the side. i would go for houses that are 50-70 sq meters, this is plenty. 50 meters will have enough space for sala-cocina, one bathroom and three small bedrooms, just about big enough to fit one double bed (or two singles) and a small chest of drawers (build in wardrobe is a must).
a bathroom can easily be 2x2, enough space to fit a small shower, sink and a toilet. dominicans do not spend much time bathing and grooming in the bathroom, it's a wash and go space (i do not mean here dominicans are dirty, just that they do not linger inside the bathroom soaking and pampering).
now, on a more serious note. you are right about the grooming, dominicanas spend more time on that than most gringas 
but i have been to some dominican apartments just as described my me above: really small and quite cramped and no lady would spend any more time in the bathroom than 10 minutes. one, there is no hot water and two, there is no mirror there
so really, when it comes to a functional space i would go small. dominicans love to share and meet with others. and that usually happens outside, on the gallery, in a colmado, whatever. so i think it is much better to have a house that is small inside and has a bigger patio. it just makes more sense in DR.
but i have been to some dominican apartments just as described my me above: really small and quite cramped and no lady would spend any more time in the bathroom than 10 minutes. one, there is no hot water and two, there is no mirror there
so really, when it comes to a functional space i would go small. dominicans love to share and meet with others. and that usually happens outside, on the gallery, in a colmado, whatever. so i think it is much better to have a house that is small inside and has a bigger patio. it just makes more sense in DR.
now we are talking. this would be perfect and still fit all livable sections. good idea to make ceilings quite high enough to fit inside bedrooms those double bed bunks (whatever they are called, one below, one above).
Somehow I have a feeling that no matter what was done, building houses out of these shipping containers is still going to cost more than building houses out of wood.. People who can't afford concrete homes in barrios build from wood, so what niche would the shipping container homes fill? They would cost right in between what a concrete house and a wooden house would cost, I have a feeling that unless you could get government subsidies that not too many people would be interested.
now, on a more serious note. you are right about the grooming, dominicanas spend more time on that than most gringas
but i have been to some dominican apartments just as described my me above: really small and quite cramped and no lady would spend any more time in the bathroom than 10 minutes. one, there is no hot water and two, there is no mirror there
so really, when it comes to a functional space i would go small. dominicans love to share and meet with others. and that usually happens outside, on the gallery, in a colmado, whatever. so i think it is much better to have a house that is small inside and has a bigger patio. it just makes more sense in DR.
I spend 20 minutes tops in the bathroom.Brush my teeth and take a shower,with no runnning hot water
why would I want to spend more time in there?.As far as fixing my hair,I go to the salon for that,like
every other Dominican woman I know.