Agricultural By-Products in Housing Systems for Tropical Climates
Alternative housing solutions are needed in developing countries to address the world-wide growth of slums and the sharp rise in energy consumption. Tropical housing designed according to bio-climactic principles and constructed of emerging bio-materials can offer an alternative to hot and humid conditions in prototypical social housing schemes. Local materials, such as coconut husk offer viable solutions to need for immediately available materials with appropriate response to climate conditions. When manufactured as a desiccant board, the coconut husk absorbs water vapor, creating a drier, more comfortable environment. Coconut husk board promises to be a viable and high-performing substitute for imported wood-based sheathing and siding products, especially in the tropics, where a substantial volume of husk byproduct from coconut production waste chain can be reclaimed and processed into building materials at an industrial scale.
