Intermediate Technology: Rooftop Squelch

Series

Series Name

Living Tomorrow

Issue

Issue No.

268

Date Released

1981

Length of issue (in feet)

522

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Intermediate Technology: Rooftop Squelch
2. 2Intermediate Technology: Technology Stew
3. 3Intermediate Technology: Micro Hydro

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 3

Summary

COI synopsis: Our modern high tech society devours the landscape in an endless, thirsty quest for energy. The Intermediate Technology Group is determined that the developing world should not waste its precious resources in the same way. They feel that imposing Western technology on a Third World society is inappropriate and destructive. Low cost, labour intensive development is their only way for progress without cultural death. Perhaps the West has something to learn. Mud and straw are the traditional building materials of an African village; readily available and perfectly adequate. Using these materials in a new way will provide housing with the minimum of cost, without disruption of tradition. A simple, hand and foot operated machine that makes bricks out of mud is the first step. Then, plaster a wall of mud bricks with concrete and it will withstand the wettest of rainy seasons. Mix straw or even camel hair with cement, shovel it onto a corrugated mould, and when it sets you’ve got roofing tiles.

Keywords

Buildings and structures; Science and technology

Written sources

COI Microfilm Roll 55 [BFI National Archive]   Used for synopsis

COI Reference

MI 1458/268

Credits:

Cutter

Allen Bowry

Sponsor

Central Office of Information (COI)

Sponsor

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Film Institute (BFI)

Email

For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7580 7503

Address

21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN

Notes

The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).

Series held

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