Colombian inventor Alejandro Franco is on a quest to bring low-cost housing solutions to people in isolated areas. He founded the company Woodpecker to construct durable architecture in remote territories, where typical materials cannot be transported. “We need to think out of the box for solutions,” Franco says. Now, he’s using coffee husks to build homes.
Coffee husks are the hard shells that remain after coffee beans have been milled, and Franco is redirecting this chaff from landfills. He and his team create a wood-plastic composite made up of discarded coffee husks and recycled plastic to form a light, strong, and fireproof construction material. “There is a huge unattended market for social housing, especially in rural areas,” Franco says. His design can also be used in regions hit by natural disasters which leave residents without shelter. “The homeless crisis around the world is only getting worse as we are affected by climate disasters,” Franco says. The building material can be transported via boats upriver or on donkeys’ backs – making it practical to access these outlying areas. “With our system, we build a house in around five days or no more than a week,” Franco says.
Through his durable and eco-friendly innovation, Franco continues to lay the foundations for affordable housing and environmental conservation. “Being able to provide this human right to my people in a sustainable way feels gratifying,” he says. To date, Franco has built over 3 000 constructions consisting of classrooms and homes. “It’s possible for everyone to have a house,” he says.
Footage by Woodpecker was used in the creation of this film
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