23-Year-Old Designs Bamboo House That Costs $64 to Build and Can Be Constructed in One Day

Housing is a big issue in most countries. Fortunately, innovative solutions to solve the conundrum are being presented every day. In fact, in the Philippines, a 23-year-old inventor recently won an award for developing a cheap bamboo house that can be constructed in just 24 hours.

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Earl Forlales, a 23-year-old engineering graduate, is inspired to help solve the housing crisis in his home country. A recent competition afforded him the opportunity to try. To develop a cost-effective and sustainable home, Forlales looked to his grandparents’ bamboo cabin, located outside of Manila. The end result is Forlales’ “CUBO” housing.

According to GoodNewsNetwork, the CUBO homes cost just $64 (£50) to manufacture. Because of this, the inventor estimates that the housing can be rented for 0.20£ per person per day. The cheap bamboo home is also beneficial for the environment. Not only does growing bamboo release 35 percent more oxygen than trees would into the atmosphere, but the crop also does not cause soil degradation.

“The world’s cities are growing all the time and there is a real need to make sure they are safe, clean and comfortable places to live for future generations,” said John Hughes, the competition’s head judge.

“There were many exciting, original designs among the submissions. However, Earl’s idea stood out for its simple yet well thought through solution to the world’s growing slum problem,” Hughes continued. “As we look at our entrants, who are our next generation of leaders, I believe that real progress will be made in tackling the world’s biggest issues.”

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For his breakthrough design, the 23-year-old was awarded the top $64,000 prize by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for their Cities for Our Future Competition. With the newly-obtained funding, Forlales plans to begin construction on the houses in 2019.

By the year 2050, nearly 70 percent of the world’s population of almost 10 billion people will live in cities, according to a prediction by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. If sustainable housing solutions are not developed and implemented by then, U.N. officials warn that population growth will worsen housing crises in many areas. Thanks to innovators like Forlales, it is very possible that the issue might be tackled in our lifetimes.

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Source: GoodNewsNetwork