02 · Construction principles · 03 / 12
CHAPTER 02

The half-house method

1
Start with the frame, finish over time
Roof, kitchen, and bathroom ship first as a weathertight core. Walls and rooms follow when families can afford them.
2
Design for the hard sites
Sloped terrain, tight density limits, urgent timelines. The half-house turns constraints into a construction sequence.
3
Open the drawings
Plans, sections, and axonometrics are freely licensed. Fork, adapt, and build without asking permission.
4
Measure in decades, not quarters
A concrete frame outlasts its first owner. Modules completed in 2005 are still standing with zero structural issues.
This is the Elemental Social Housing design system, applied by Curio Design — a design-style library for AI agents. Full Elemental Social Housing guide → designbycurio.com/learn/iglesia-bicentenario-concepcion-elemental-2008