Modular eco homes built to withstand earthquakes

Architect's latest design promotes local industry, encourages sustainability and is strong, flexible and affordable.

Modular building, on land and water, is making flexible living a reality. The newest Springspotting to employ modular building techniques is Anupama Kundoo’s Full Fill Homes, which are quick-to-build, eco-friendly housing modules that are strong enough to withstand harsh winds and mild earthquakes. Needing only the most common building materials, the hollow block units are fully customizable and specially designed for strength and varied use.

Made of ferrocement, a mesh-reinforced mortar and plaster material, the modules fit together like puzzle pieces and can create anything from furniture to walls. Storage and essentials like the kitchen sink are incorporated into the structure itself, and the blocks can easily be made from recycled materials. Doors, windows and roofing elements are also built with ferrocement. Should a natural disaster occur, the structures can be rebuilt within a week using what materials are at hand. The team behind the prototype believes the modules could quickly improve upon poor living conditions as well as be adapted for other uses such as eco-friendly guesthouses, student accommodation and emergency shelters.

How could large-scale modular structures be used in densely populated urban areas?