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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs

The Legatum Center supports entrepreneurs all around the world through the Fellowships and Grants

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Bin Li

2013 - 2014
Alumni
Legatum Fellow
From:
China
Sector:
Real Estate
Location:
China
Degree:
MArch, School of Architecture and Planning

Bin Li’s organization is aimed at providing a low-cost housing solution to rural households in northwest China. Advanced Rammed-earth System (ARES) is a packaged construction system for compressing “earth,” the regionally free and degradable material. The system meets the demand of low-cost, high-durability, and low environmental impact; in addition, it creates jobs for adults in the rural areas.

While China is rapidly urbanizing and affordable housing has been developed in many urban areas, rural northwest China is still lacking an affordable system. Low income, poor living conditions, lack of natural resources, and a weak ecosystem call for a housing solution with high affordability and sustainability.

ARES is a modern building construction system that meets the demand of low-cost, high-durability, and low environmental impact. It pioneered the integration of the modern rammed-earth technique into an applicable system; it provides training, technical support, construction organization and supervision as part of the service package. Moreover, ARES creates job opportunities for trained rural adults and potentially employs them as construction workers and supervisors.

By building the major part of a house with compressed earth, ARES cuts 50% of the material and construction costs compared to conventional concrete housing. The rich soil resource in northwest China makes the region especially appropriate for ARES application.

Through on-site projects and independent research, Bin has learned much about rural development in India, Israel, Austria and Switzerland, and South America. This has enhanced her understanding globally of the urgent need for affordable and sustainable development. She has been involved with several low-income community projects in rural China.

Bin is pursuing her Master of Architecture at the MIT School of Architecture. She has a Bachelor of Art in Architectural Study from the University of Hong Kong.

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