Indian architect Anupama Kundoo has unveiled a prototype house that can be built in just six days using Lego-like blocks of a material called ferrocement. Kundoo brought skilled stone masons from India together with engineers from Germany to create the Full Fill Homes model, which is installed inside the Arsenale for the duration of this year’s Venice Biennale.

As with several of the architect’s previous projects, the full-scale house showcases the potential uses of ferrocement – a material made by layering mortar or plaster over metal mesh. According to Kundoo, this engineered material offers a wealth of opportunities for architects but is particularly well suited to creating flexible and cost-efficient housing solutions, in India and elsewhere.

The housing prototype showcases a system of modular ferrocement blocks, which are stacked up to form walls and built-furniture, meaning they can be used to create homes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The blocks are hollow, so they create plenty of storage areas. Because the material is easy to tint, the blocks can be manufactured in different colours, which could be used to denote different activities, ranging from food preparation to sleeping and bathing.

The blocks can also be produced in the backyards of masons’ homes, helping to provide them with additional income. According to Kundoo, a Full Fill Homes property can be assembled in six days and disassembled in a single day. It is also designed to withstand strong winds and mild earthquakes.

This prototype was built using materials recycled from the German Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2015. When this year’s Biennale is over, the house will be transported to nearby Marghera to provide a residence for homeless people. Kundoo has taken over an entire room in the Arsenale. As well as the house, she is exhibiting a full-scale model of a prefabricated toilet that also makes use of ferrocement. This is accompanied by models of completed buildings and examples of materials.

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/07/anupama-kundoo-full-fill-homes-ferrocement-house-model-arsenale-venice-architecture-biennale-2016/