Explore interesting, eco-friendly, energy-efficient,
cost-effective ways of building a house
- The
ugly, expensive glass and cement buildings, coming up almost daily in
Bangalore
are depressing. Imitating the West but badly, they are a blot in the
landscape
and worse, they drastically guzzle energy. Which is why a recent
two-day
national workshop on “Innovative, Cost & Energy-Efficient,
Eco-Friendly
Construction Methods & Systems” in Bangalore was good to attend
because
it showed that at least some architects, engineers and activists are
concerned
about energy and the environment!
- The meet
revealed that luckily
stabilised mud construction is back in India, though it had got a bad
name
when HUDCO botched it up with 700 houses in Yelahanka in 1987 when the
engineers
in-charge used substandard blocks. But now they are again the best
choice
for consumers, Prof K S Jagadish, AICTE Emeritus Scientist, Indian
Institute
of Science, Bangalore, told the meet. There are atleast 40 to 50 such
houses
being built around Bangalore, (Mysore has around a 1,000 houses),
Hospet and
other states too in India. They are energy-efficient, and bring down
energy
consumption drastically by using mud. “Lime is very cost-effective too.
We
must go back to mud, lime and stone for building,” he said.
- Earth as a basic
building material
was another innovative technology offered by Habitat Technology Group,
Trivandrum,
which is a non-governmental organisation. It practices cost-effective,
eco-friendly
and low energy, sustainable building technologies. Stabilised mud
blocks are
eco-friendly, cost-effective, energy-efficient material, 20 to 30 per
cent
cheaper than fired bricks, good stability, good resistance to hurricane
and
rain, suitable for all climates, low skill needed, etc.
- Concood - a new
system: Mr Anand
Kumar S K, Consulting Engineer for Master Plannery in Puttur, D.K. (Ph:
08251
- 620710/620530, email: masterplannery@vasnet.co.in) spoke about a
strong,
durable and cost-effective material called Concood. The process is
simple.
The advantages of fabricated steel structure, flexibility of ferro
cement,
stability of RCC along with the advantages of precast systems are
brought
under one roof to form a new type of concrete called Concood. It can be
used
for walls, partitions, roofing sheets and ceiling slabs, doors and
windows,
cupboards and wardrobes, steps and staircases, water tanks and flower
pots,
toilets and railings, etc! It is also a long lasting material, he said.
- Interestingly,
he showed a picture
of a permanent electrical panel board for all seasons, using Concood,
and
pumpsheds which normally cost the Karnataka Government Rs 9,500 to make
one,
while with Concood they can be made for just Rs 3,000! He showed
photographs
of schools made with hollow blocks and arched blocks, which are easy to
construct and cost 40 per cent less than the usual materials, beds,
cots, gates, roof and rafters, hospital furniture, garden sofas,
suspension bridges, even a dog house! All of which looked visually
appealing while the cost saving was 40 per cent! You can even make
water tanks, swimming pools and any shaped
flower pots with Concood!
- Another
interesting eco-friendly
way to build a house was shown in a case study by S Vishwanath,
Consultant
and Founder - Rain Water Club, Bangalore (Ph: 3642435/3641690). On a 30
ft by 50 ft plot an ecological design was attempted and built to act as
a benchmark in 1996 in a suburb of Bangalore called Vidyaranyapura. The
design incorporated a semi basement and mezzanine floors as a climatic
zoning concept. The earth excavated from the basement, foundation and
sump provided most of the material requirement for wall construction
including blocks and mortar. Locally available granite stone was
sourced from a quarry 4 kms and nearest to the construction site for
lintels and concrete works. Wall thicknesses were designed based on
structural and solar passive design requirements. Walls are 9 inch
thick on the southern and western side and only six inch thick on the
northern and
eastern side.
- The design
incorporates one continuous
volume for the entire house with only small height partitions, ground
level
windows and roof level ventilators for natural cooling and eschews the
use
of artificial ventilation systems like fans and air conditioners!
Rainwater
harvesting techniques and solar energy on the roof are other
eco-friendly
measures. All waste generated is either recycled or composted! Bamboo,
a
fast growing grass has been used for gates! There is minimum use of
plaster
and paint. Waste material generated during construction has been used
as
filler material for roof and for cladding bathroom walls!
- Water recycling
is done through
a feature wherein clothes wash water is stored and reused for flushing!
Kitchen
water is filtered and used for gardening purposes. The house is
independent
from city level water supply for 250 to 300 days in a year! Vishwanath
told
the meet how each of us in flats and houses can do our bit for the
environment.
Vishwanath says that all of us can do our own composting with our solid
wastes
using 10 large pots of 16 inches.
- Put your solid
waste separately
in a pot and cover with ash, or earth or sawdust completely till it is
full.
Set it aside. Use another one till 10 pots are full. By the time the
ten
pots are full, the first one is ready to transport to a compost heap
with
leaves or vermicompost, etc. This is known as Eco San.
- Besides, even
our own urine can
be poured into plants or trees which grow very well because it has
nitrogen,
potassium and sodium, he says. It is almost as good as artificial
fertilizers.
It is a way to convert waste into a resource.
There were many more useful
eco-friendly
tips from other architects at this meet which will have to be saved for
the next column.
- For more information call up
INSTRUCT which organised this workshop.
Institute for Research, Development and Training of Construction Trades
and
Management, 1st floor, UVCE Alumni Association Building, K R Circle,
Bangalore
560001. Ph: 080 - 2294291/2243257. email: instruct@vsnl.com
Copyright, 1999
The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd., 75, M.G. Road, Post Box No 5331,
Bangalore -
560001
Tel: +91 (80) 5880000 Fax No. +91
(80) 5880523