Earthbag Houses in Kenya. Same cost as Mabati houses, same quality as Stone Houses

Earthbag Houses in Kenya. Same cost as Mabati houses, same quality as Stone Houses.

Earthbag houses in Kenya have the same cost of construction as mabati houses but offer same indoor quality of living as masonry stone houses.

Mabati houses have a problem in regulation of indoor temperatures, too cold at night and too hot during the day. Mabati houses are also not secure since the walls are easily broken into . Earthbag houses offer very high quality indoor temperatures since the walls are thick and with good insulation qualities from the soil. Earthbag houses are also very secure from break ins since the walls are rigid and strong, same as stone houses.

With a fraction of the cost of stone housing, one can construct an earthbag house and enjoy the benefits of the superior cost cutting features within.

Earthbag houses also offer good insulation from noise compared to mabati and prefab houses which have thinner walls hence lower sound insulation.

See cost comparison of a 1 meter by 1 meter wall surface of mabati, earthbag and stone below.

Mabati house. 1meter by 1meter wall surface area.

Cost of gauge 30 mabati per 1m        kes 500

Cost of 2×2 cypres timber and nails  kes 200

Cost of labour                                        kes 160

TOTAL                                                    KES 860 PER M2

Earthbag house . 1meter by 1 meter wall surface area

Cost of bags                          kes 464

Cost of labour                      kes 70

Cost of soil                            kes 30

Cost of plaster both sides kes 300

TOTAL                                 KES 864

Stone House. 1meter by 1meter wall surface area

Cost of stones                               kes 750

Cost of joining cement mortar  kes 200

Cost of labour                               kes 75

One side plaster                           kes 150

TOTAL COST                              KES 1,175

From the above, the cost of a mabati house will be approximately equal to the cost of an earthbag house while the earthbag house offers lots of advantages.

Mabati house.

Earthbag house

Stone house

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau

0721410684

info@a4architect.com