A 1,200 sq. ft. house constructed in a week? “In fact, it was six days of actual construction after basic foundation work,” clarifies hotelier R. Adiga, the owner, amused to have witnessed his home gaining shape in just about the time one would take on a business trip across the Atlantic. “I walked in like a king. My architect offered this house with one bedroom, dining, kitchen, bath, pooja with an open entrance hall on a platter to me,” he says.
Mr. Adiga’s farm house at Kanakapura was visualised in the third week of July 2013, when he had casually expressed to his friend-architect that he had missed building a farm house to celebrate his 50 birthday slated for August 2013. “I will meet the target. Give me a free hand. I will use gypsum boards and give you a house on August 1,” replied the architect. The novelty seemed irresistible to Adiga who said ‘Cheers!’
“Gypsum, a waste by-product of the fertiliser industry, is available in plenty. It is commonly used for wall punning and putty. Gypsum boards for walls have been used in several mass-housing projects, although lack of awareness about its eco-friendly features has restricted its presence in residential constructions,” says the chief architect of Adiga’s farmhouse, requesting anonymity.
Pre-fabricated gypsum boards also make economic sense for temporary structures, labour colonies, construction site offices and model houses, flood and earth quake ravaged sites and exhibition halls. “Using gypsum sensibly in low-cost budgets helps in fast-track constructions and can balance labour shortage,” says the architect, who heads a reputed 50-year-old firm.
The technology used for Adiga came from IIT-Chennai that houses a ‘two-storey gypsum model’ in its premises along with roof slab and staircase. The model draws inspiration from the original Australian technology much in vogue all over the world. The best of construction chemicals available in the market today can help nullify the effect of weather on gypsum and make it water and fungus proof, says the architect.
For Adiga’s project, gypsum wall and roofing boards with window cut-outs were brought ready-made from Cochin, says the project co-ordinator. The outer walls are of hollow gypsum boards of 20 cm width. They were filled with concrete to make them burglary-proof. The 8-inch thick inner partition walls are noise-proof, even without a concrete filling.
“Six people started on the basic structure. By mid-week, nearly 45 people were putting together almost everything from flooring, walls, electrical fittings and plumbing round-the-clock. There is no plastering as gypsum boards are ready to paint,” he says.
“We have given a 20-year guarantee on leaks,” assures the architect.
A steel and concrete house would have cost about Rs. 20 lakh. Adiga saved nearly 35 per cent on that. The savings included on steel (at the rate of three kg/sq ft) and cement (about 75 per cent).
