PAKSBAB

As of October 2009, PAKSBAB has built 11 straw bale buildings in Pakistan’s
North West Frontier Province. Our typical 24 ft by 24 ft house is comprised of
2 rooms and a veranda, with an optional kitchen. The building material cost is
about $2250 (180,000 PKR).

Straw bales suitable for building are not available in Pakistan, therefore one of PAKSBAB's initial accomplishments in 2006 was to develop a system for manufacturing straw bales from manually operated farm jacks and locally fabricated compression moulds. Our pilot project was a straw bale women's community center in Jabori followed by a residence / training course in Hillkot. Both villages suffered severe damage and loss of life in the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

In 2007, we collaborated with the organization Salamat-e-Hazara on a residence / training course in Qalandarabad and a subsequent 3-house project in Mansehra and Shinkiari.

In 2008, we initiated our Community Development Program (CDP), through which we build houses for those in need while engaging the beneficiaries in the construction process. During the year we completed three CDP residences in Battal and Qalandarabad.

In 2009, PAKSBAB constructed two 32 ft by 32 ft employee residences at the Bach Christian Hospital in Qalandarabad. In the fall we initiated a CDP 6-house project / training course. Four of our trainees are from the Swat Valley, location of the recent military operation, where we aspire to conduct house reconstruction projects.

Additional appropriate building methods that PAKSBAB is currently promoting include passive solar, rainwater catchment, high-efficiency cooking and heating, and the use of sustainable and natural materials such as light straw clay and cob.