It is normal for people in many countries to build their own houses, especially among the poor. Now, a British architect, Walter Segal, has developed a timber-frame building system based on off-the-shelf materials, with a minimum of cutting, and a simple sequence of step by step operations (Appropriate Technology, Vol 2 1, No 4).
The system, says Segal, is highly flexible and allows for buildings to be extended and modified.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/self-shelter
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/down-earth
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/architecture
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/building-technology
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rural-technology
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/united-kingdom-uk