Earthquake-resistant affordable home stacks together like Legos in just six days

Indian architect Anupama Kundoo recently unveiled a housing prototype that’s not only resistant against mild earthquakes, but can also be assembled in just six days.

Presented at this year’s Venice Biennale inside the Arsenale, Kundoo’s Full Fill Home offers an eco-friendly option for affordable housing, particularly for poor rural areas in India. The key to the low-cost home lies in the use of a material called ferrocement - a system of metal mesh-reinforced mortar or plaster built in the shape of stackable Lego-like blocks. Used as a stronger alternative to brick walls, ferrocement can be handcrafted from locally available materials to reduce the structure’s impact on the environment and its cost. The Full Fill Home prototype at the Venice Biennale, for instance, was constructed using materials recycled from the German Pavilion used for last year’s Venice Biennale. “We’re not just talking about affordability in terms of money here, we’re also talking about impact on the environment,” Kundoo told Dezeen. “We can’t afford to keep building the way we do.” The material is low-tech enough to be produced by masons in their backyards, yet strong enough to withstand harsh winds and mild earthquakes.

Flexibility is a main factor in the prototype house design, which comprises modular and hollow ferrocement blocks that can be stacked like Legos to build anything from walls to furniture. The simple modular blocks can also double as storage and be in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to suit the homeowner’s needs. Each house can be assembled in as little as six days and disassembled in one day. Following the conclusion of this year’s Venice Biennale, the Full Fill Homes property will be donated to Marghera and used to house the homeless.