Building Together is a small project to house 202 low-income families using mutual-aid and self-help methods. These families were grouped into clusters which worked together in a graduated process. Building Together combines three fundamental objectives: shelter, community and self-reliance. Community interaction, unity, and trust is generated in the process of building together. The 1.6 ha. site for the project is located in a developing area in Bangkok, accessible to transportation facilities and work opportunities essential to its residents. Protected against flooding by a perimeter dyke, this low-lying site has been divided into ten clusters and has spaces for community structures and activities. The interlocking blocks require no mortar for assembly and are produced on site with a simple block machine. The floor joists, which fit into the interlocking blocks, are cast into steel moulds also on site. All the building components fit together into one integrated building system, easy enough for semiskilled and unskilled labor to handle.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture