Magali Anderson

How Will We Live

Holcim's chief sustainability and innovation officer, explains what technologies we already have available to meet the housing needs of the present and near future

It is predicted that by 2050 there will be around 10 billion human beings on the planet and that 6.5 billions of them will live in cities. Currently, 1.6 billion people already lack adequate housing and sanitary facilities, and we expect this number to exceed three billions by 2030.

In the next three decades, we will have to build the equivalent of New York City every month.

For these reasons it is essential to work on improving housing standards at every latitude, and for every social condition, through accessible sustainable technological solutions. Without neglecting the value of beauty.

We are building affordable green housing and schools in Africa, implementing solutions such as 3D printed concrete and Durabric compressed earth bricks. We have built the world's first 3D-printed concrete school in Malawi, and are working in several other countries in the region, such as Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Opening image © Mirko Cecchi

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