Sketchup model

Because I am not familiar with the topography tool on Sketchup, I only did a digital model for the Plains house which has flat terrain.

The walls would be made of brick or earth with styrofoam insulation. If the walls are of earth, extra support around the windows is needed so I showed masonry around the doors and windows as well as on the corners of the house for reinforcement. The roof tiles would be the local clay tiling that is native to Nepal.

Axonometric drawings

The axonometric drawings originally blocked out a lot of the important features of the designs so I used a kind of modified version. The pieces that would have been hidden from view are drawn in a very light line weight while the features that would be visible are drawn in a darker line weight.

Final plans and sections

Nepal Plains house

Nepal Hill house

Hill house semi-final section

Hill house floor plans

For the house meant for the more hilly region, I based the dimensions off the plains region house. The layout is very similar with the difference being the two floors. Upstairs would be a residential area as well as the left side of the house. The right side of the house is a public area and the kitchen.

Plains house semi-final section

The next step after this is a final section in ink! 

Plains house plan

Using the square footage of the Congo house I established the ground-level dimensions of the Nepal plains house. The main section of the house is about 50x34ft and the kitchen is about 13x13ft.
After looking at it more closely, I might widen the hallway by about a foot, but overall this is pretty final.

Plains house sections

Section and structure

Drawing the section for the Hill house brought to light an interesting problem. If the hill overhangs the house after cutting into it, I need some sort of structural reinforcement. For this I decided on a simple technique that has been used for thousands of years. Corbelling is a technique using flat stones to create a dome or arch. An ancient example of corbelling is found in the houses of Alberobello, Italy. The technique is believed to have been first used in the beehive tombs of ancient Greece. Just like any dome or arch, the corbelled dome (in this case only a partial dome) the weight above is transferred down the curve of stones and the structure is intrinsically stable. 

Thinking about materials

Although I wasn't able to use many actual recycled materials for the DRC house, I'm already incorporating them into the Nepal houses. I've known for a long time that styrofoam is one of the worst products that we use in terms of environmental persistence. Styrofoam does not break down and cannot be made into something new. It's just styrofoam forever. And ever. If you use styrofoam bowls and plates for parties, I've probably shot you a few nasty looks and told you exactly what will happen with that styrofoam when you throw it "away". It doesn't go away. So as the organisms that invented this disgusting product, we have a responsibility to stop making more and start reusing what we have in new ways. 

If styrofoam can insulate your thermos, why not reuse it to insulate your house? Provided that it is thoroughly cleaned of any food residue, I don't see any possible complications. Styrofoam consists of millions of tiny little air pockets and as I learned in Physics 1, stationary air is a fantastic insulator. Why would we waste it on packaging and plates when it could be in our walls keeping us warm all winter? I think styrofoam can be packed between the walls of the Nepal houses to create an effective insulator.