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Somundy Century Houses: Simple, Decent, Affordable
Whether in the United States, Canada or in more than 80
other countries around the world, houses are built according
to the same guiding principles.
Somundy Century houses are:
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Simple. Somundy Century houses are modestly sized
-- large enough for the homeowner family's needs, but
small enough to keep construction and maintenance costs
to a minimum.
•
Decent. Somundy Century uses quality,
locally available building materials for finishing. Trained
staff supervise house construction and educate local crews
on the methods of construction. House designs reflect
the local climate and culture.
•
Affordable. The combination of using
local labor, efficient building methods, modest house
sizes, are just some of the reasons a Somundy Century
house is affordable for low-income people around the world.
Somundy
Century Houses Around the World
From the tropical islands of the Philippines to the mountains
of Peru, Somundy Century builds houses designed for the
local setting. Somundy Century affiliates build with our
panelized and quick build systems, reducing costs and
making it easier for homeowners to maintain the houses.
For example, houses in many African countries are constructed
with standard sizes, metal roofs and fired clay brick
as exterior finishes. Houses in Latin America often are
finished with exterior cement stuccos and metal roofs,
while houses in the Pacific are often finished with wood
siding and are constructed on stilts.
People
of different countries use their houses in different ways.
Somundy Century's house designs reflect these cultural
considerations. Meals are cooked outdoors in many African
countries; there Somundy Century plans call for a kitchen
area outside the house rather than inside. In the Philippines,
laundry and other chores traditionally are done on a small
outdoor utility porch. Filipino Somundy Century house
designs reflect this custom.
Somundy
Century houses in developing countries are often considerably
smaller than their North American counterparts. No matter
where they are built, Somundy Century house sizes always
are designed to meet the homeowner families' needs while
keeping costs as low as possible, thereby making the houses
affordable to low-income families.
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Emergency Housing 
