Dezeen Magazine

Sand-bag houses by MMA Architects 3

Design Indaba 08: continuing our series of stories about the 10x10 Housing Project in Cape Town, South Africa, here are the latest photos showing progress constructing the first sand-bag house.

Designed by MMA Architects, the house is the first of 100 experimental, low-cost homes for former shack dwellers that will be built at Freedom Park on the outskirts of Cape Town.

Work started on the houses last Monday and these photos were taken last Wednesday and Thursday, when local children joined in to help fill sand bags.

See our earlier story for plans of the houses and an explanation of the sand-bag construction method, and photos of the first day's work here.

"The bags have now all been packed in for the bottom floor, and the shuttering was made right on the top for the concrete ringbeam, which was cast on Friday," says project manager Nadya Glawe.

"Next week we'll start plastering the bottom level to give support, before putting up the timber frame on the top level and packing bags again."

The houses each have a budget of 65,000 Rand (£4,300/$8,600).