Two projects of the Centre of Science and Technology For Rural Development (COSTFORD) have earned recognition in the national-level competition conducted by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).
The HUDCO Design Awards were for COSTFORD’s environment-friendly and cost-effective housing project for the Karimadom Colony here, under the category for Cost-effective Rural/Urban Housing including disaster resistant housing. The Karimadom project came second among four prize winners; while COSTFORD joint director and architect P.B. Sajan and his wife Shailaja Nair’s residence at Powdikonam, near the city, won the second prize in the category ‘Green Buildings’. The prizes were of Rs.50,000 each. Mr. Sajan received the awards at a function in New Delhi on February 22.
Karimadom Colony
The Karimadom Colony project was entrusted to COSTFORD by the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation as part of its slum eradication programme, following which the centre went in for Laurie Baker’s cost-effective and environment-friendly housing concept. The project envisaged new houses for 560 families, out of which seven complexes housing 140 families, have been completed so far in two phases. The project included planting of tree saplings, cleaning of the pond in the colony, an education centre for children, a building for women’s self-help groups, bio-gas plants, and play area.
The award for Mr. Sajan’s Baker-style home, spanning 2,700 sq ft and which cost only Rs.20.5 lakh, came for its design, affordability, and usage of environment-friendly building material, including bamboo and mud and ‘re-cycled’ material.
