CRAFTED ADOBE PRODUCTION AND BUDGET COMPOSITION ON THE ITABUNA-ILHÉUS-URUÇUCA AXIS, BA, BRAZIL
Earth construction; Budget; Cost.
Earth has been used over the centuries as a constructive element and is directly associated with Vernacular Architecture and Bioconstruction. Among the main techniques, the handmade manufacture of adobe stands out. Considering the above, this research aimed to analyze the adobe manufacturing process in the area covered by the axis Itabuna – Ilhéus – Uruçuca; municipalities located on the South Coast of the State of Bahia, considering the costs associated with its manufacture (budget composition) in order to enable manufacturing and trade (on a larger scale) by low-income communities. The research comprised the descriptive record of the adobe manufacturing methods; identification of the most cost-effective manufacturing process(es); elaboration of budget composition and informative booklet. The study made it possible to price the unit (block) produced in the communities chosen for the analysis, whose values corresponded to R$2.34 and R$2.82. Although the second value is higher, it corresponds to the manufacturing process of the 100% handmade constructive element, and is therefore the most suitable as a parameter for a possible commercialization of the product. Providing data on the financial viability of adobe production and marketing in low-income communities not only helps to encourage the use of the building element by the general population, but also could provide financial support for the families involved in the process.