Many average African families desire a solid concrete home - culturally, it is seen as the only type of home that will stand the test of time. They want a home that will not only be around for generations, but is also low cost and qualifies for bank financing. Our challenge was to create a solution that incorporates the latest technology to speed up the building process and make the home affordable. In addition, we wanted to incorporate features into each home that would typically only be found in much more expensive homes, offering a home that people are proud to own.
The first step was to photograph many more expensive homes in the region and present these photos to an African architect. This architect created a home incorporating desirable exterior design elements with a floor plan that would be culturally pleasing.
It can take six months to build a concrete home, which adds greatly to the labor costs. We need to build our concrete homes quickly, not only to make the home more affordable, but also to satisfy the overwhelming need for this type of housing. So, we use aluminum forms to cast the entire home in just a few hours. When the system is working efficiently, we can set up our forms in the morning and cast the entire home in the afternoon. The next day, the forms are stripped and cleaned, set up next door, and another house is cast. One 80m2 home, every 1-3 days, is our goal.
Oliver Kessler from NEOPOR
Concrete can be expensive...and heavy. Furthermore, it must be constantly vibrated as it fills the forms so no pockets or voids are left when the forms are stripped. It is often difficult to cast intricate details with traditional concrete. We solved these problems by using lightweight cellular concrete. Gravel, the heaviest component of the traditional mix, is replaced with a foam that is similar in consistency to shaving cream. Millions of air bubbles bind the concrete and give it strength, as opposed to gravel. And the mix is very fluid, and fills the tight design details of our forms without any vibration at all, resulting in a final product that is extremely smooth and clean. And cellular concrete has much better insulating properties than traditional concrete.
NEOPOR System Cellular Lightweight Concrete, based in Germany, supplies materials and machinery for this process. With over 30 years experience, they are the global market leader in lightweight concrete with over 300,000 structures constructed using their technology.
NEOPOR System Cellular Lightweight Concrete, based in Germany, supplies materials and machinery for this process. With over 30 years experience, they are the global market leader in lightweight concrete with over 300,000 structures constructed using their technology.
We use local labor for the entire process. 10-12 laborers are needed to build each home. In addition, we use skilled local trades people to install the plumbing and electric. Our goal is to use as much local labor as possible to create jobs at the same time we're addressing the lack of affordable housing.
The forms are stipped and the concrete is prepared for finishing. Our goal is to have a final finish that is so smooth that no skimcoat/plaster is needed - the concrete can be painted directly. Notice, because of our innovative sets of multilayered aluminum forms, the porches, arches, columns, and the trim around the windows and doors are all cast at the same time as the house is cast - these elements do not have to be added later.
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Our final product speaks for itself. An 80m2 three bedroom solid concrete home that can be custom finished for each customer based on their budget and tastes. 
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United Property Group, Ltd, Africa,No. 116, KG8 Avenue, Remera, Kigali, Rwanda (250) 78835616 in[email protected]
