Ecoblock - ¡ÉCHALE! A TU CASA Sustainability Report

www.echale.com.mx - June 4, 2012                                  (photo courtesy of viviendaechale.blogspot.com)

Ecoblock International offers families the opportunity to build their house through a self-production and self-construction program aided by means of its ¡Échale! A tu casa program. This program makes use of all the benefits of stabilized adobe creating a thermal, acoustic and ecological home that meets the needs of every family, with a competitive edge in the sector of aided self-construction.

Adobe Home Aid, institution aimed at helping and training most disadvantaged families about housing self-construction, together with Ital Mexicana, created an aided construction and self-production program. This alliance created Ecoblock International in 2007, to meet the needs of these families. Due to the enthusiasm, effort and love these families devote to the construction of their houses, the program was named ¡Échale! A tu casa. The first projects performed included the construction of one thousand houses, one library, a town hall, and a convent in the State of Tamaulipas. Then, ¡Échale! A tu casa was taken to different parts of Mexico like Chiapas, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. The first project with ‘previous savings’ and financing took place in Tepetlaoxtoc, State of Mexico.

In order to service the rural and semi-urban world, it is necessary to adapt the constructive design, the technology and the finances. Economic, environmental and social sustainability plays a vital role for the development of the program. It is essential to provide training, social inclusion, eco-technology and the use of local materials.

(SEE ATTACHED REPORT)