A new invention could soon change the face of shantytowns across the globe. Called "Universal World House," the structures are light, cheap -- and made of paper.
Slums, sadly, look largely the same the world over -- rickety metal roofed huts thrown together on the edges of vast metropolises to provide some rudimentary shelter for the destitute who live there.
A model of the new paper house was set up in Kiel in December.
"From the very beginning, our goal was to create practical, environmentally sustainable, and, most importantly, cheap living quarters for the slums of the Earth," Gerd Niemöller, who developed the cellulose material the houses are made of, said in a recent statement. "Now, that is possible."
Niemöller is a co-founder of the Swiss company The Wall AG, which holds the patent for material used in the construction of the mini-homes. But, he says, he envisions the houses -- called the "Universal World House" -- ultimately being produced in the countries where they are needed. And, he says, the sticker price for the 36 square meter (387.5 square foot) structures won't be more than $5,000 each.
The material used in the construction of the houses mimics the honeycomb pattern used in the manufacture of airplanes and other products for which both weight and strength are important factors. But instead of using aluminium or other alloys, Niemöller used resin-soaked paper processed to form thin, light -- yet strong -- panels. The material is also an excellent insulator, and is flexible, making it appropriate in areas at risk of earthquakes.
According to Niemöller's business model, his company would deliver the machines to manufacture the panels along with the raw materials. Everything else would be taken care of by locals.
Interest has already been large. One of the first settlements made up of the paper houses will be built in Zimbabwe in conjunction with the German aid organization World Vision. Nigeria too has ordered 2,400 of the houses.
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A model of the new paper house.
A new invention could soon change the face of shantytowns across the globe. Called "Universal World House," the structures are light, cheap -- and made of paper. The price for the 36 square meter (387.5 square foot) structures won't be more than $5,000 each.
| 便宜堅固紙房屋 造福貧民盡歡顏 |
「通用世界屋」（Universal World House），售價約五千美元，麻雀雖小，五臟俱全，組合完成之後，在卅六平方公尺（約十一坪）的空間中，有八張內建的床鋪、一道可以用來殺豬宰羊的陽台、一間浴廁，總重不過八百公斤，比一輛福斯（ＶＷ）的「Golf」轎車還輕；如果扣掉底座，更只有四百公斤。
然而輕巧並不代表脆弱，「紙做的」並不等於「紙糊的」。通用世界屋的原料來自資源回收的厚紙板與報紙，用樹脂浸泡過後加熱加壓，製成質量輕、強度高、絕熱佳、可防水的蜂窩狀材料。其實類似技術在飛機與遊艇製造業已行之有年，但原料是鋁和其他合金，顯然不適合貧窮或戰亂地區的成本考量。
尼默勒等人計畫在德國基爾附近設立工廠，生產製造通用世界屋所需的機器和原料，輸出到有需要的國家，在當地製造與組合，如此一來將可降低運輸成本、創造就業機會。通用世界屋可以快速因應突發的天災人禍，目前已接獲西非奈及利亞等國的訂單，國際援助機構也考慮用它來安置辛巴威逃離霍亂疫情的難民。
本則新聞由中時電子報提供 2009/01/18
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