Familia del Tío Beto

The building uses an old construction technique known as “quincha” in South America. The walls were made using 2″ x 6″ pallets for the wooden frame and filled them with straw for thermal insulation. The exterior is covered with a mixture of mud and straw to give the wall thermal mass. After a scratch coat is applied to the exterior mud layer and dried, a layer of lime plaster is applied to make the wall waterproof. Recycled glass bottles can be integrated in the open window elements of the building for decoration. All materials are easily found locally and were used to build all the walls of the three houses. The roof is made of corrugated metal panel.  The house measures 36m².

The building can be maintained by local labor with earth construction experience.

A well-constructed and maintained quincha building can last decades.

No testing has been completed.

Builders should wear appropriate protective equipment such as hardhats, gloves and safety glasses while working to protect against physical injury commonly associated with heavy construction.