Property
Issue No. 39 - February/March 2008
Rapidwall turns gypsum into gold
by Pamela Brombal
SA-developed Rapidwall – a low-cost, load bearing prefabricated walling system, is quickly becoming a building material of choice for local and international residential building projects.
Rapid Building Systems was set up in the early 1990s with a view to develop Rapidwall as a world class environmentally sound building system. Along the way the company realised the product would also give disadvantaged people, especially those in the third world, a chance to live in affordable housing of high quality.
After more than 15 years of research, development, production and building the company is having an impact on the developing economies of India and China due to the unprecedented need for adequate new housing.
In India alone investment in housing runs between $34-45 billion per annum.
Green building demand offers another channel. Rapidwall is made from 100% recyclable material, including gypsum, the byproduct of other industrial processes.
In India a...



