According to the New York Times, Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia has designed “S Houses,” which are mass-manufactured, prefabricated structures that cost only $1,500.
The homes are easy to build. One steel frame can be hoisted per hour, and power tools are not needed, for the most part. The homes are designed for people in poor communities, remote areas, or refugee camps, and they withstand severe tropical storms and last for at least 30 years.
Some critics say, however, that high-profile humanitarian architecture often ignores the complexities of housing policy and finance, as well as local variations in climate, building materials and aesthetic tastes.
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