February 25th, 2010
A few weeks ago, we mentioned the strong flat pack prefabs designed by Andrés Duany for Haiti. That effort is moving forward, and we’ve been able to catch a photo of a built prototype (see above). InnoVida Holdings, LLC, manufacturer of the lightweight fiber composite panels used to build the prototype, today announced plans to build a factory near Port-au-Prince and donate 1,000 of these houses to Haiti. It’s a massive endeavor that could lead to the production of 10,000 homes per year and 250 direct jobs in the country.
The manufacturer has several different housing solutions, although this Andrés Duany home — Le Cabanon — is about 160 square feet and sleeps eight. With InnoVida Panels, Le Cabanon can be built in a few days with no heavy equipment.
InnoVida says their fiber composite panel is waterproof and mold- and insect-resistant. It’s also fire-resistant and hurricane tested and approved for winds up to 156 mph. The 2.5-inch wall panel has an R-value of 14.6, while the 4-inch wall panel has an R-value of 23.7.
With these numbers, the panel might just catch on in energy-efficient home building circles here in the U.S. What do you think?
[+] Learn more about these Haiti housing solutions.
Media credits: © InnoVida Holdings, LLC.
Related posts:
Posted in Green Building