How and Why we Build
UBU provides innovative construction technology for the modern housing market. Our team brings a wealth of skills and experience in architecture and construction to ensure that the best designs, materials and plans are innovated and adhered to.
UBU homes are all built with a combination of Sandbags and EcoBeams. The EcoBeams are made up of a composite of steel lattice and 38mm timber battens which form the frame of our structures (220mm wide). 300x300mm polypropylene sandbags are then stacked in a stretcher bond manner and a fibreglass mesh is then added before everything is plastered over. All sandbags and EcoBeams are designed, manufactured and constructed by the UBU team. Latterly we have introduced concrete ring beams and columns which enhance the structure to enable us to build a second storey.
All the systems in place for building, manufacturing and licensing fall under the watchful guise of Agrément South Africa who are tasked (under the Department of Public Works) with overseeing all innovative construction products. They have a very strict yearly assessment process ensuring all quality elements are adhered to. UBU is the owner of Certificate 2011/398 and this has become our ‘quality bible’.
This Agrément certificate enables us to build subject to the requirements of NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council)
UBU makes the manufacturing and actual building of the houses easy, affordable and easy to implement.
The benefits of this system are significant:
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Fireproof
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Thermally and acoustically excellent
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Bullet Proof
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Eco friendly with a greatly reduced reliance on CO2 and recycled sandbags can be used.
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The same technology is used in any project in any part of the ‘city’
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Its 40% cheaper than conventional brick building
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The technology can be used to build a home incrementally
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Everyone gets to build. It's a wonderfully simple technology for those wishing to self-build.
Some of the attributes of building with sandbags and EcoBeams