DuraVilla Homes Guyana will be expanding its production of modular homes to countries in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) this year.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DuraVilla Homes Guyana, Rafeek Khan said on Monday that interest in homes was expressed during the recently hosted third edition of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo held in February at the Mariott Hotel.
Inews was told that Caribbean leaders from Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia were among those countries that expressed interest in purchasing modular homes to boost their housing drive.
Meanwhile, leaders from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados expressed the need to ramp up the production of homes being provided to them through DuraVilla.
As a result, DuraVilla Homes Guyana will be constructing 50 homes for Trinidad and Tobago, 500 for St Vincent and the Grenadines, 25 for St Lucia and 100 homes per month for Barbados.
During a media briefing at the Mariott Hotel, Khan revealed that DuraVilla is now utilising 12 tropical hardwood species and concrete, among other methods to meet the demand.
“The toughest part of the journey has been engineering, has been identifying the supply chain, understanding pricing and understanding logistics. These have been solved now what we will have to do is probably perhaps help construct the homes faster in the Caribbean by maybe sending skills from Guyana to these islands to teach them how the homes can be constructed faster,” Khan explained.
The homes to be constructed in the Caribbean countries start at $10 million (US$50,000).
The woodwork and engineering for the structures are conducted in Guyana and shipped to these countries where it will be put together.
They include a variety of bedrooms, baths, vaulted ceilings, covered porches, hardwood cabinets and open floor plans, among others for sustainable and contemporary living.
According to Khan, moderately priced modular homes will also be constructed for young professionals in Guyana.
He explained that the goal is to provide affordable housing to new homeowners and aid in boosting the government’s housing drive.
“This year we would like to make these homes towards homeowners who wish to spend $8 million even up to $10 million in building a two- or three-bedroom home like you see here at the energy conference…we would also like to make materials available to home-owners such as like I said the young professionals. The products that we’re exemplifying and showing here, we want to make these products available to the locals but first, we must satisfy our existing customers in the export region as we build up supplies, we will be ready to deliver locally,” Khan said.
In 2023, DuraVilla Homes Guyana invested US$3 million to expand its production of modular homes and eco-lodges.
Last year, the company set out to construct 1000 modular homes but only managed to deliver 135 of which 98 were exported to Barbados and St Vincent.
Further, 30 homes were expected to be completed for tourists during the hosting of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Overall, the company contributed to 35 per ce
