Architecture Commons^™

Tanzanian Cement Block, Emmanuel Castano-Bonilla, Leah Holleran, Kristy Sanchez

Architectural Engineering

The construction plans for a polytechnic college are being developed in the town of Same, Tanzania, Africa. This project is sponsored by the Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD), a non-profit that has partnered with design firms such as ARUP and KLA architects to complete the work. Considering that the site is located in rural Tanzania, material availability is limited. A local block maker produces a mechanically pressed brick that consists solely of sand, cement and water. The bricks are unconventional when compared to those made in the United States. The purpose of this study is to understand the block …