This engineering student built affordable 3-bedroom house using soil, plastic waste

Matimba Mabonda and his team built a three-bedroom pilot house in Johannesburg using soil and plastic waste. The project links affordable housing needs with waste reduction, though wider use will need further testing.

In Short

• Matimba Mabonda led the pilot build at Ennerdale in Johannesburg
• UCT said over 90% of the walls used earth and waste
• Mabonda's interest stems from his experience of growing up in a shack

A South African engineering student has turned an unusual mix of natural soil and plastic waste into a three-bedroom house, showcasing a potential new approach to affordable and sustainable housing.

Matimba Mabonda, a chemical engineering graduate and MSc student at the University of Cape Town (UCT), led a team that constructed the house in Ennerdale, Johannesburg. The project was designed to explore whether locally available soil and waste materials could be used to create affordable homes while also addressing environmental concerns linked to waste.

According to UCT, more than 90% of the house’s walls were made using earth-based materials and waste. The pilot home was completed in less than a month, demonstrating the potential of the construction approach to reduce reliance on conventional building materials.

FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Mabonda’s interest in alternative construction is also rooted in his own experience of growing up in a shack. His project focuses on the possibility of developing housing solutions that are not only more affordable but also make use of materials that would otherwise contribute to the waste problem.

The idea combines two pressing challenges: the need for affordable housing and the growing volume of plastic and other waste generated by communities.

Instead of relying predominantly on conventional materials, the team incorporated natural soil and processed waste materials into the construction of the home. More than 90% of the walls were made from these alternative materials, according to UCT.

The project is aimed at demonstrating how waste can be redirected into useful construction applications while making use of locally available resources.

THREE-BEDROOM HOUSE COMPLETED IN UNDER A MONTH

The three-bedroom pilot house was completed in less than a month, marking an important milestone for the project.

While the house is still a pilot project, its completion has attracted attention beyond the initial experiment. The success has reportedly resulted in requests for additional homes, raising the possibility that the approach could eventually be adapted for wider housing projects.

The project highlights the growing interest in construction methods that combine sustainability with affordability. Turning waste into building materials could potentially reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while lowering dependence on some conventional construction resources.

However, scaling such methods for widespread housing would require further testing, including assessments of durability, structural performance, safety, cost and compliance with building standards.

For Mabonda and his team, the pilot house offers a practical demonstration of what can happen when engineering innovation is applied to everyday challenges.

The project also illustrates a broader idea: materials considered waste could potentially become valuable resources when new construction techniques are developed around them.

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