Local materials key in green architecture for Kenya

NAIROBI: Many of us have who have enjoyed a holiday at the Coast may have spent some time resting in a building whose walls are made of smooth pebbles, limestone and roofed with coconut fronds or makuti. One thing that stands out is that such structures are cool and provide much-needed relief from the punishing coastal heat.

All these materials are locally sourced, a key requirement for sustainable construction technology. Interestingly, while many people have no problems spending the night in "five-star" makuti-roofed bandas, few of us are inclined to use similar materials to build permanent homes. The typical stone house with imported fixtures has come to symbolise modern living in Africa.

Why, though, should we consider use of locally available materials?

First, such materials enhance the environment. Recently, some county governments put a limit on the amount of sand that can be harvested from the rivers, especially in the eastern region of Kenya. In other parts of the country, forests are being depleted faster than new trees can be planted. Both materials are basic building blocks in our construction industry. Using them sustainably means causing little disruption to their sources such as rivers and forests.

Secondly, procuring the materials should use as little energy as possible. Take the example of using tonnes of imported materials. Apart from leaving a carbon footprint due to the transportation process, the cost of production will contribute to the overall cost of the building. This will translate into a higher purchase price or rent for the end-user. In any case, procuring materials locally enhances the local economy as well.

Third, locally available materials should be easily assembled on site. They should require little technical ability for the masses to use. Some of us may remember the dovetail joints that we learned to make in elementary school without hammering a single nail.

The less tech-savvy among us should master the use of such materials in hours, not years. The high construction cost is partly due to the vast regime of 'professional' fees.

According to the Earthship Biotecture Online, we should not compromise the need to use local materials at the altar of enriching technicians.

"If hi-tech systems and skills come between the common person and their ability to obtain a home, we are setting ourselves up to place the very nature of our housing in the hands of economics rather than in the hands of the people," says the publication.

Of course some have said that some local materials like the ones mentioned above are not durable and are unsafe. However, it has been said that some of the most enduring structures on earth today – like the pyramids in Egypt – were constructed using local materials.