A proposed project in New Zealand to build earth homes with flax reinforcement is in the testing stages. Over the next five years both flax-and-earth houses and timber houses will be built and then compared, in terms of durability, cost and quality of the houses’ internal environment. If the earth houses prove to be as cost-efficient as expected, they will likely be used to provide cheap housing for the Whanau and Hapu groups. The project is also looking into co-housing - community built and financed housing - in order to incorporate the practice of collective land ownership. Flax-and-earth houses are not traditional forms of residence for the Maori, but the project’s aim is to provide low-cost and high-quality housing that facilitates Maori traditional living patterns.
