It is normal for people in manycountries to build their own houses,especially among the poor. Now, aBritish architect, Walter Segal, hasdeveloped a timber-frame buildingsystem based on off-the-shelf materials, with a minimum of cutting,and a simple sequence of step bystep operations (Appropriate Technology, Vol 2 1, No 4).
The system, says Segal, is highlyflexible and allows for buildings tobe extended and modified.