Photograph

Low Cost Houses for Mexicali – Production of earth-cement interlocking blocks: Photographs of drawings

01/01/1976

Drawing

Two photographs of construction details drawings, the first depicting the basic interlocking block wall system and the second the production molds.

Photographer:

Christopher Alexander/C.E.S., Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Source:

Digital

Characteristics:

B&W

Content of

Construction Innovation

Low Cost Houses for Mexicali: Production of earth-cement interlocking blocks 1975

Construction System, Cement Interlocking Blocks

Created by:

Christopher Alexander, Julio Martinez, Howard Davis, Donald Corner

Production of earth-cement blocks in the builder's yard, vibrated and compressed in a block-making machine, and fabricated on the basis of specially designed and made steel molds for four different shapes of blocks; cylindrical blocks for free standing columns, corner ...

Contents

Photographs

References

Scientific Research

Innovative Construction Systems, Techniques and Materials

Areas of focus:

Design and Building Process

Guiding idea:

Construction Innovation

One of the main topics of research, included in every building project, was to identify, early on in the design process, the material and techniques of construction. This would re-establish building as an art, and allow rapid shaping and adaptation, ...

Projects

Low Cost Houses for Mexicali 1975 to 1977

Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

Low Cost Housing, Realized , Construction completed in 1977

Client:

Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali - Mr. Jorge Nunez, Director of the School of Architecture

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Julio Martinez, Howard Davis, Donald Corner, students and families

Contractor:

Built by the families and local subcontractors under the management of the Center for Environmental Structure

Sponsor:

University of Baja California

Project cost:

$70,000

Project stages:

Pattern language for the project by C.E.S. Layout on the ground by clients and C.E.S. Preliminary Design drawings done after layout Direct Construction management along with on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. control Users in

A cluster of houses for large families, with a builders yard, built by the families themselves with the help of students from the Universidad Autonoma of Mexico, and a team of builders from the Center for Environmental Structure. Each house ...

Drawings

Low Cost Houses for Mexicali: Construction system details - Construction Drawings 01/01/1976

Construction Innovation, Construction Drawings, Details

Designers:

Christopher Alexander, Julio Martinez, Howard Davis, Donald Corner, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Photocopy

Size:

8 1/2"x11"

Five pages of construction details regarding: a) Basic interlocking wall block system; b) Original foundation system; c) Revised foundation sequence; d) Round columns, square columns and connection to walls; e) Walls .