Main

THE GLOBAL SMART CITY KNOWLEDGE BASE

Homes made from plastic bottles for earthquake survivors

Smart City Chirine Etezadzadeh

Mexico City’s residents, affected by the earthquake, might find shelter in houses built of plastic bottles. Image source: Shutterstock (#498161794).

The Viviendas Emergentes (Emergency Housing) campaign (VIEM) is building houses from plastic bottles for people suffering from the consequences of the recent earthquakes in Mexico. Empty plastic bottles are filled with rubble and earth to make quake-resistant emergency shelters.

“Right now, people are sleeping in the street, in the rubble, in the rain. So we need housing now – we can’t wait for the moment the government decides it’s going to help,” said Ana Vanessa Rendón Zúñiga, one of three architects who set up the Viviendas Emergentes (Emergency Housing) campaign (VIEM).

Plastic bottle donations are gathered in collection centres. There are safety concerns, but the houses are not only more resistant to earthquakes than concrete houses, but can also withstand hurricanes.

 

Eco-Business

Why not share this article?

Partner Networks

City Partners

SmartCityNews.global

SmartCityNews.global