LOOFAH HOMES

Loofa is eaten as food even though we know it as a sponge. It comes from the gourd family (like squash, so I'm going to have to go with the vegetable on this one), but is most often described as a fruit. It is called the 'dishrag vine', as the plant is a trailing vine. It's fruit appears in the summer, and they grow very quickly. They are eaten before full maturity, when they begin to become too fibrous, and take on the qualities of a sponge. www.wisegeek.com

Elsa Zaldivar is a community activist in Paraguay whose idea it was to begin implementing loofah as a construction material for building sustainable homes, www.inhabitat.com As necessity is the mother of invention, so was born the Loofah home. In Paraguay, deforestation has taken the wood commonly used for houses. It was Elsa's resourcefulness that began her innovation of using the remnants of the abundant Loofah fruit. She took her idea to the environmental ministry where trials were done with mixtures of recycled plastics to make a durable building product.

Loofah is grown to make things like shoes, as well as the cosmetic sponges which we are more familiar. From the production of these items comes some remnants, these are ground up and combined with the recyceld plastic mixture. The strength of a panel formed from the mixture can be produced in variations of durability, weight, and flexibility. In addition, color may be added to the mixture, - so you won't have to paint your house.  Even the house is recyclable too, as old panels can be reground, 'melted and formed into new panels', www.inhabitat.com.  The loofah house takes only three to four days to construct.  

The benefits of the Loofah Home is a new source of income for the country, as loofah is a key agricultural product of Paraguay.  This form of sustainable building is also providing low-cost housing, and reducing the need for wood to build their homes. Check out www.rolexawards.com for more information on Elsa's Recyclabe homes, a 2008 Laureate of the Award for Enterprise.