Jamaica
News - Real Estate - General (November
8, 2004)
New block system promises cheaper, faster houses
Housing developer and former president
of the Blockmakers Association of Jamaica Denzil Ferguson yesterday officially
launched a block and steel building system he invented, which he says will
significantly reduce the cost and time of building houses.
The system was unveiled by minister of
commerce, science and technology Phillip Paulwell, at the National Tool and
Engineering Institute (NTEI) in Kingston, where it is on display.
The concept was developed by Ferguson, but he
collaborated with the Industrial Unit of the University of Technology and NTEI
to engineer the prototype.
The Fercon Building System, as it is called,
is a proprietary technology that utilises a series of pulleys, conveyors and
precision clamps built around an aluminum framework that lays blocks and tiles
to precision, and much faster than can be achieved through pure manual labour.
"We have pre-tested the system alongside
masons using cords to align blocks and this (system) is way ahead,"
Ferguson stated.
The system allows blocks to be placed in their
exact spot in a wall without having to align each one separately. And, because
the blocks are laid to precision, the time and expense of rendering is
eliminated, Ferguson explained.
In addition, spaces for doors, windows,
electrical and plumbing conduits are pre-marked on the frame, making
installation quicker and more precise.
According to Ferguson, a modular approach
removes the need to cut building blocks at window and door openings.
At the same time, the system, he says, maintains
the flexibility so as to be useful over a wide range of construction terrain,
building sizes, and housing schemes. "Constructing window lintels is a
thing of the past," declared an obviously elated Ferguson.
"A perfectly square building also makes
the laying of floor tiles quicker and more accurate," he added. When
Ferguson introduced his invention last year November as a scaled-down model
size, he argued that the system could deliver a 740 square-foot two-bedroom
house for $1.6 million, excluding land cost.
Today, mass-produced two-bedroom houses generally
range between $2.6 million and $2.9 million for approximately 650 square feet of
living space, including land costs.
For the perceived benefits to reach the
public, Ferguson said he advocates renting the system to builders, along with
the requisite technical support, or Fercon could undertake to do the
construction project.
According to Ferguson, it took over ten years to
perfect his system and a worldwide search via the World Intellectual Property
Organisation (WIPO) has revealed no similar type in use worldwide.
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