Hands of the Carpenter | Projects
Hands of the Carpenter – Process
This video highlights the process of how a house in the rural areas outside of Banica is built. The process starts with the government designating trees that can be used for construction of the houses, continues with local laborers harvesting the trees, cutting them into boards, and then building the houses with them. The recipient families each planted over 100 trees to replace the ones that were cut down for their projects. You can also learn more about the technical details of the construction process for these homes by viewing our construction manual below.
New House in Guayuyal
Owner: Davi Jean Baptite Mathurin
Location: Guayuyal, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,200 Completed: 2022
The community leaders asked us for the complete rebuilding of the house of Jean Baptiste Mathurin (David), a resident in the community for 30 years. He and his family of adult children that also live in the community are sharecropper farmers without the means to pay for a new house themselves.
Davi Mathurin Family – 2022
New House in La Siembrita – 1
Owner: Abelino Moreno Contreras
Location: La Siembrita, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,500 Completed: 2022
The three new houses of La Siembrita constructed in the fall of 2022 were all built to replace existing houses in very deteriorated conditions. We received permission to cut 21 pine trees to build the homes. The trees were marked by an environmental technician of the government, cut down, and sawn into the boards, posts, and beams to build the houses from. The local laborers, community members, and families helped with the transportation of the wood from the mountain forests to the house sites. We again used the shou-sugi-ban method of wood charring to protect the wood in contact with the ground. Each new house is approximately 20′ x 30′ with 3 bedrooms, an open living area, and a front porch. Construction materials for the houses consist primarily of wood walls, concrete footings, and a metal roof.
Abelino Contreras – 2022
Francisco Contreras – 2022
New House in La Siembrita – 2
Owner: Francisco Moreno Contreras
Location: La Siembrita, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,500 Completed: 2022
New House in La Siembrita – 3
Owner: Soraida Rodriguez
Location: La Siembrita, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,500 Completed: 2022
Soraida Rodriguez – 2022
New House in el Pequero
Owner: Clodomiro Cuevas & Elvira Gomera
Location: el Pequero, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,200 Completed: 2022
Clodomiro and his wife Elvira live in el Pequro, one of the communities in the “campos” region in the mountains north of Banica. el Pequero is a community of about 8 houses. The community council selected Clodomiro and Elvira to be the recipients of a new house because they had been living with their son in his home, and needed more space for additional family members to live with him.
The new house is approximately 20′ x 30′ with 3 bedrooms, an open living area, and a front porch. Construction materials for the house consist primarily of wood walls, concrete footings, and a metal roof. The pine boards and posts were sawn from a local pine tree that was approved to be cut down by the forest authority for this project. The bases of the posts were burned using a technique called shou-sugi ban to preserve and protect the wood from decay and insects. Aggregate for the concrete was sourced from a local river and carried to the site by mule with community member help. Community members also helped paint the interior and exterior of the house.
Project Details – New House for Epifania
Epifania en la Yamaya
Location: La Yamaya, Pedro Santana Parish – Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $3,200 Completed: 2022
Epifania is a widow living in La Yamaya, one of the communities in the “campos” region in the mountains north of Banica. La Yamaya is a community of about 35 houses. The community council selected Epifania to be the recipient of a new house because of the deteriorated conditions of her old house, the challenges for her to make repairs to her house, and for her involvement in the community.
Epifania en la Yamaya – 2022
Samuel & Viola Family – 2020/2021
New House in Banica
Samuel & Viola
Location: Higuerito, Banica, Dominican Republic
Approximate Cost: $9,000 Completed: 2021
Family
Samuel and Viola are the parents of six young and full of life children. Of Haitian background, Samuel works in Agriculture. They are currently experiencing severe droughts in the area and are struggling to get by, but living with great hope and optimism.
Their house was small, as seen in the photo, and made from sticks and mud. The two small rooms and outdoor kitchen were barely enough for such a family. The mud walls and earth floor do not provide protection from the rain, critters, and disease.
The new house provides 2 bedrooms, a kitchen/living space, as well as an outdoor porch. There is also an outdoor latrine as well as kitchen area. The walls are concrete masonry units, with a concrete floor, and a zinc framed roof.
