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- Jan 23, 2014
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A US-based firm Tuesday introduced a two-bedroom house made from alternative building materials at a cost of Sh851,400 in an offering targeted at the low end of the market.
International Green Structures (IGS) says it builds homes and office blocks from panels made from compressed rice and wheat husks that are paired with metal framing in what analysts reckon cuts the overall cost of construction by up to 30 per cent and reduces the total time taken to put up a building.
The firm says it has so far received 3,400 orders and will build a panel factory in Thika worth Sh1.3 billion as real estate investors increasingly look at alternative construction materials to cut costs associated with brick and mortar.
"There is an overwhelming demand for housing in Kenya and limited supply in the middle and lower market segment giving IGS optimism of great success," said Julius Nyoike, president IGS Kenya Ltd.
"This technology will provide a second income to rice and wheat farmers as these are the materials used in production of durable panels made of straw," he added.
The two-bedroom house will measure 43 square metres and comes with a toilet, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet. A larger house of46 square metres is retailing at Sh910,800 while one of 64 square metres is selling for Sh1.2 million.
Two-bedroomed houses in Nairobi's Eastland's are retailing at more than Sh4 million, with rising cost of land being a major factor for the sky-high property prices.
The firm is also targeting to build schools and office blocks using the panels. It will charge Sh5 million for three classes and an office.
This kind of technology has been used extensively in large-scale housing projects in South Africa, Morocco and Egypt and for skyscrapers in Dubai.
International Green Structures (IGS) says it builds homes and office blocks from panels made from compressed rice and wheat husks that are paired with metal framing in what analysts reckon cuts the overall cost of construction by up to 30 per cent and reduces the total time taken to put up a building.
The firm says it has so far received 3,400 orders and will build a panel factory in Thika worth Sh1.3 billion as real estate investors increasingly look at alternative construction materials to cut costs associated with brick and mortar.
"There is an overwhelming demand for housing in Kenya and limited supply in the middle and lower market segment giving IGS optimism of great success," said Julius Nyoike, president IGS Kenya Ltd.
"This technology will provide a second income to rice and wheat farmers as these are the materials used in production of durable panels made of straw," he added.
The two-bedroom house will measure 43 square metres and comes with a toilet, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet. A larger house of46 square metres is retailing at Sh910,800 while one of 64 square metres is selling for Sh1.2 million.
Two-bedroomed houses in Nairobi's Eastland's are retailing at more than Sh4 million, with rising cost of land being a major factor for the sky-high property prices.
The firm is also targeting to build schools and office blocks using the panels. It will charge Sh5 million for three classes and an office.
This kind of technology has been used extensively in large-scale housing projects in South Africa, Morocco and Egypt and for skyscrapers in Dubai.