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Case Study: Africa
Tanzania
Delivering
en masse
Green Housing
National Housing Corporation (NHC) Tanzania is responsible for affordable quality
housing delivery in that country. Since its formation, NHC has embarked on more than
5 000 units of affordable housing projects all over the country.
T
he reference project in Dar es Salaam involved the
construction of 201 houses using the Hydraform Building
System. Analysis after the fact revealed that this project
was completed for 30% less than the cost would have
been if conventional brick and mortar systems had
been used.
Known as the Kibada project, it was the first green
housing project undertaken in Tanzania. NHC also
used special airflow systems in the houses to improve
cooling, thereby minimising the energy required for
cooling by the inhabitants. Other benefits include lower
construction costs, higher strengths, faster construction
and the creation of employment at various sites.
NHC had procured 15 Hydraform blockmaking
machines for these projects, each of which can
produce 2 000 blocks per day, translating to enough
blocks to build a single 85m
2
house every week. The
machines are being deployed at affordable housing
projects around the country, with assistance from local
Hydraform partner Newton Trust.
NHC’s other 20 projects range in size from 14 to 54
affordable houses and include full town development
including shops and nursery schools. Other community
facilities have already been completed and many are
ongoing. Importantly, every project has the mandate
of developing skills to provide maintenance and
building services to the community after the project is
completed.
But the Kibada project in Dar es Salaam remains
the flagship, having being extended into Mwongozo,
where 208 houses are currently being built to standards
prescribed by the NHC. In the process, more than 500
direct jobs and over 800 indirect jobs were created –
all while building housing for over 1 000 people.