Bricks are not the expensive bit. I'd rather buy them, delivered on a pallet, from someone who makes them for a living, than go through the learning curve of making bricks (and a sufficient number of molds to make them, and a space to do it, etc.) that won't fail. Believe me I tried, and I also witnessed people struggling with rammed-earth construction. It's messy.
In any case, It's all the systems that make a house expensive. The theory of solving homelessness was previously supposedly solved with tiny homes. The idea was : less materials - therefore affordable. But, what happens is people still need all the 'other stuff', i.e., well-made windows (double or triple glazed) and doors and locks, proper plumbing, electricity, ventilation, insulation that is installed properly, etc. etc. So, what happens is that the smaller dwellings are far more expensive per square foot. There is a sweet spot somewhere, however, and that is small three bedroom houses, built to standardized plans that construction companies already offer as 'affordable' or 'first homes'.
Similar to the make-your-own brick theory, in the early 2000s Germany stopped using building permits for residential housing up to three stories high 'to reduce costs', since they felt that builders knew how to build houses already. The problem was that once that happened, most people did not bother with geotechnical surveys. Three story houses were built on unstable ground. The homeowners ended up paying through the nose - so now it is the insurance companies who dictate what paperwork needs to be provided - not the building inspectors, and guess what? It is MOAR expensive.
Bricks are not the expensive bit. I'd rather buy them, delivered on a pallet, from someone who makes them for a living, than go through the learning curve of making bricks (and a sufficient number of molds to make them, and a space to do it, etc.) that won't fail. Believe me I tried, and I also witnessed people struggling with rammed-earth construction. It's messy.
In any case, It's all the systems that make a house expensive. The theory of solving homelessness was previously supposedly solved with tiny homes. The idea was : less materials - therefore affordable. But, what happens is people still need all the 'other stuff', i.e., well-made windows (double or triple glazed) and doors and locks, proper plumbing, electricity, ventilation, insulation that is installed properly, etc. etc. So, what happens is that the smaller dwellings are far more expensive per square foot. There is a sweet spot somewhere, however, and that is small three bedroom houses, built to standardized plans that construction companies already offer as 'affordable' or 'first homes'.
Similar to the make-your-own brick theory, in the early 2000s Germany stopped using building permits for residential housing up to three stories high 'to reduce costs', since they felt that builders knew how to build houses already. The problem was that once that happened, most people did not bother with geotechnical surveys. Three story houses were built on unstable ground. The homeowners ended up paying through the nose - so now it is the insurance companies who dictate what paperwork needs to be provided - not the building inspectors, and guess what? It is MOAR expensive.