The director of Kasa Konsultants, Mr Peace Obeng Appau, has stated in an interview with Build With Amoaa on YouTube that in 2019, his real estate company switched from building conventional blocks to using rammed earth because of the affordability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness.
The rammed earth used as a building material is made from a mixture of gravel, sand, silt, clay and stabilizer that are compacted or run between flat panels called formwork.
In the interview, Mr Appau discloses that his company has done five solo projects and partnered with others on three other projects. He asserted that their first rammed earth building was the first of its kind in West Africa. Kasa Konsultants has also gone ahead to build a school for a community in Ghana using rammed earth.Talking about the advantages of rammed earth, Mr Appau says it is a healthier alternative to cement because people will not have to inhale the acidic elements found in cement and the hazardous substances in paints. He added that the rammed earth has a higher heat resistance level than concrete.
Mr Appau says buildings made of rammed earth can last up to one thousand years. Talking about challenges such as rainfall, he said that the rain only affects the building when it is newly done. However, when the rammed earth house is dried up, the rains have no effect on the building.In their company is done building the house, they spray the outer parts of the house so that it is not affected by rain.
Regarding the price of a rammed earth property, Mr Appau stated that several factors affect pricing, such as architectural designs, location and finishing. He added that a standard one-bedroom house would cost about $2,500.
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