Welcome to the group Mary.
I'm confident that there are several people in the UK working with
papercrete, but I haven't been able to track down any specific
projects yet. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.
Your efforts to create a better living environment for others is a
worthy goal. Papercrete can very possibly play an important role in
accomplishing what you are describing. The project you are proposing
will not be easy.
You asked for thoughts, here are a few.
Flamability:
For the project you describe, I anticipate the greatest potential
hazard will be fire. I encourage you to consider this factor in
every aspect of your proposed project. Improvised cooking stoves,
heating stoves, and candles will likely be far more common than in
more traditional structures. Proper ventilation of the structure and
using non-flammable materials wherever possible would make sense.
Come up with a mix recipe that will not support smoldering. The less
city infrastructure there is at the building site, the more important
fire resistance will become. If there is limited plumbing or water
available to fight any potential fires, you'll need to build
something far more fire resistant than any typical home in order to
be safe.
Equipment:
Building and powering a mixer may be very difficult for many people
in the situation you describe. Perhaps you have better imagination
than I do, but the only practical solution I can think of is for
someone to provide a loaner mixer for people to use. Such a mixer
will need to be built extremely ruggedly. It will undoubtedly absorb
a lot more punishment than a typical mixer. Look around at photos on
this site and others around the web. Almost every mixer looks like
it has had a hard life once it has been used a few times. Imagine
what such a mixer might endure if it wasn't built by the
owner/operator who is more likely to take care of it. If you build
yours like a tank it might last long enough to accomplish something
worthwhile.
Legal issues:
I have NO idea about the laws in the UK. I find it difficult to
imagine any urban area openly embracing anything that might get
labeled a "shanty town." Don't misunderstand, it won't be important
whether that accurately describes what you want to build or not, and
I'm not passing judgement on your project. If the authorities think,
or even feel, anything that THEY PERCEIVE is moving in that
direction, you can expect strong resistance, no matter how honorable
your motives are. You can most assuredly expect some portion
of "concerned citizens" or "nosey neighbors" to voice complaints no
matter how well designed the project is. I'm not saying this is
right or fair. It's simple reality, and you'll need to be prepared
with the proper responses, in verbal form, in action form, and in
legal form. If the papercrete process and structures "appear" to be
haphazardly built this will enhance complaints and other problems.
If you can make your papercrete efforts blend in with the surrounding
architecture, you'll have better relations with the surrounding
population.
Services:
Where will residents get food, water, power, and other services?
Will they be able to call for emergency police or medical assistance?
Have you considered waste removal? I can almost guarantee you that a
clean site will be embraced by your city and surrounding community
far more easily than a trashfilled one. Don't dare allow a passer by
to smell anything bad even one time. The gossip and word on the
street will brand the project instantly.
Community:
I encourage you to think beyond simple shelter and more about
building a community. Having a place to sleep is important, but it's
not enough. If the community can serve an important function in the
community beyond taking people off the street it will stand far
better chances for success. If all citizens can view the new
community as something that provides a valuable service to the city
and not as a drain on society it will help everyone, especially the
residents. If they see themselves making a contribution it
undoubtedly will improve their own outlook as well.
I'm sure there are many other issues to consider than what I have
mentioned, but perhaps this will give you a little more food for
thought.
I wish you well.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Mary Lloyd <mary@...> wrote:
>
> Hello, "slurryguy", pleased to meet you, I gather you started the
group.
> I was hoping someone might acknowledge my post or welcome me
or
> something. I usually do that on my own groups so that people feel
> relaxed enough to share.
> Anyway, the reason I am getting interested in papercrete
and
> other sustainable building stuff is because I have a larger project
at
> the back of my mind that at some point will need to be started.
> I have for some years worked with the homeless here in the
UK. It
> is clear to me that there is no point shoving homeless people into
a
> flat and expecting them to "do normal": hold down a job, pay the
bills,
> feed themselves, get along with neighbours etc.....when they have
lived
> "off grid" for so long. It just doesn't work and is a waste of
money and
> resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
> Now my idea is to persuade the government to give me some
land
> and a minimum allowance, so that I could get a few of my homeless
> friends to build their own small dwellings and live there, as a
stepping
> stone back into normal productive life. Obviously not all of them
could
> cope with even that, but from what I know of the street, there are
> enough people who would recognize this as a sensible solution their
own
> problem that they would be willing and skilled enough to give it a
go.
> The sculpture in my garden will teach me a few things about
> building in a way that doesn't impact the surroundings except
> aesthetically: if we put up horrible little hovels and live like
tramps,
> obviously we are asking for trouble. But if what we build is
pleasing to
> the eye and contributes to the look of the environment, while at
the
> same time providing the basis for the caring community that my
friends
> out there so badly need, we are on a winner. We would grow our own
food too.
> On the subject of papercrete, I have a lot of paper and
access to
> more which I am shredding and using in my experiments. I have a
lovely
> area under a tree and surrounded by shrubs, which has a natural
dome
> overhead. The reason I wanted flexible papercrete is to sculpt a
roof
> shape without having to break even a twig, so that the roof
undulates
> naturally, and can be camouflaged or decorated suitably. I thought
I
> would try lightly mixing paper with enough cement and fine
aggregate to
> give some strength, but also with some waste paint to give
flexibility
> and waterproofing. I want to set it in sheets and cut it to size.
Once
> it is up, I will plaster the inside with a more suitable product,
> haven't even thought of that yet, some kind of earth plaster.
> I was mixing some shredded paper with barbecue ash and it
> makes a lovely "mud" that I might use in the walls. It needs some
> additives obviously or it will fall apart as soon as the rain
starts. I
> am resisting the idea of permanence because these dwellings will
not be
> that: when they have achieved their objective they can be
dismantled
> leaving no permanent scar. But they do need to be warm, waterproof
and
> safe enough to be lived in through such extremes as we experience
in our
> British climate.
> If anyone has any thoughts that might help me, please
pass em on!
> Blessings
> Mary Lloyd
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