An old, derelict 'mud house' in the townships of East Grahamstown, South Africa

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Older homes in the townships of Grahamstown are essentially organic, being made of mud reinforced by wattles and poles. A cement rendering increases the weather-proofing, to avoid the contents getting soaked through in heavy rain. When well-built, 'mud houses' can last several decades. This example, in a bad state of repair, is derelict, although this traditional method of building is seen in the informal settlements of in-migrants, on the open land around the townships of east Grahamstown.

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Size: 5218px × 3465px
Location: Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, badly, brown, building, cement, clay, crumbling, derelict, doorway, grahamstown, house, leaning, mud, poles, rendering, south, townships, traditional, wattles, weathered, wood