The Magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti almost one year ago levelled more than 250,000 homes and left countless more damaged beyond repair. Under the stewardship of former U.S. president Bill Clinton, a US$4-billion fund has been established to help jump-start the rebuilding process, and Innovative Composites International Inc. (ICI) from Canada was recently named one of less than a dozen finalists.

The Toronto-based company is hoping to popularize the concept of a plastic house. Namely that such houses are actually cheaper, stronger, greener and far easier to assemble than those built using more traditional materials.

"Plastics now are a great structural material," said Terry Ball, the founding chief executive of ICI.

"We've developed a bunch of products that take high-strength fibres, we combine them with low-cost plastics and provide structural applications to replace steel, concrete and wood with something that lasts [longer], is stronger, lighter and is completely recyclable."

"When we think about Canadian technology we usually think about wood-frame technology, but there is other technology [such as plastics] making its way into the framework as well," said Don Johnston, senior director of technology and policy for the Canadian Home Builders Association.

"But wood has challenges in tropical and warm climates in terms of having to be treated for decay and other things that aren't typically a problem here in Canada, so perhaps a plastics approach can overcome some of those challenges."

Jerry Olszewski, vice-president of engineering for ICI, believes it will. He boasts ICI components as being nearly impervious to common wood-afflicting ailments such as moisture, insects, rot and mould.

"What we're doing is constructing a building panel that is totally superior to any wood product," said Mr. Olszewski. "We can make [the material] hurricane proof and if necessary, earthquake proof."

It would seem ICI's attractiveness in Haiti goes beyond the technical specifications of the product. Brian Eames, manager of large export projects for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), notes that the company's final assembly procedure -- whereby an ICI-produced home can be erected by four unskilled labourers in about two days -- will prove important as ICI vies for a contract.

In addition to Haiti, the company is involved in the initial stages of low-cost housing projects in Iraq, Libya, Mexico and Columbia. Even beyond housing, ICI envisions a broad range of applications for its technology.

"Anywhere that you currently use a sheet product, so anything that you use a piece of plywood for, you could probably substitute our material for," Mr. Olszewski said.

(Source: Canadian firm bids to build homes in Haiti [Financial Post])