Staff Reporter
Windhoek
Despite the struggling mass housing delivery plan and the construction industry facing very hard times, Heinrich Schroeder, the founder of the innovative Kavango Block Brick (KBB) Building system, is very optimistic about the future.
In fact, KBB’s Italian partner Luca Grandonico of CGM-SRL was in Windhoek this week to discuss the way forward together with recently acquired building material supply-chain partners.
Schroeder’s optimism is strengthened by the fact that two very important collaboration agreements are being formalized between KBB and a leading building supply chain to bring affordable housing within reach of many previously excluded potential homeowners.
KBB and Grandonico, representing CGM, have been hard at work to redesign a more affordable and compact block-making machine to manufacture the full KBB range of interlocking masonry blocks, and related building materials.
KBB’s new machine can manufacture the new KBB SUPA Quick masonry block range which comprises a combination of conventional SUPA bricks and the KBB interlocking range of blocks. The current machine commissioned by KBB is now outdated and will be replaced by the more compact machine, developed in collaboration with the Italian partners, Schroeder said this week.
“As Namibian patent design owners, we are excited about the prospects which lie ahead. We have the natural resources, which can be used as superior building materials when processed using the innovative machinery which our Italian partners have developed,” said Schroeder.
He added that KBB has devised a detailed cost breakdown master plan for bulk infrastructure services for the 14 regions, which he believes can be used as an example for SADC and the rest of Africa.
“One of the key aspects is to reduce the cost of servicing of land, and to reduce building material supply distribution costs. The new range of bloc-making machines include compact models which can be set up near or at the site where housing developments are taking place. The KBB and CGM range of machines have been designed for ease of product handling and consist of double production lines which speed up production of the KBB and conventional range of any masonry products,” said Schroeder.
KBB aims, in collaboration with its building material supply-chain partner, to roll out the block-making machines throughout the 14 regions of Namibia and SADC.
KBB has negotiated a deal with its Italian partners to also assemble the CGM range of block-making machines on Namibian soil. This is expected to further reduce the final delivery cost of the Italian and KBB range of block-making machines, and even serve as the main distribution point to supply SADC neighbours with the KBB and CGM product range of specialised compact block-making machines.
“Our dream is to contribute towards reducing slums and squatter camps throughout Africa by collaborating with shack dwellers and build-together groups throughout the SADC region, using Namibia as an example,” said Schroeder.
•••• Photo: KBB
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