On a plot of erstwhile marshy land near the Parambil temple at Mudavanmugal, Poojappura, stand structures that are a testimony to what the Habitat Technology Group, a non-governmental organisation that works in sustainable housing, is all about.
A pond surrounded by bamboo clusters and a workshed where bamboo beams and furniture lie about leave no doubt about the group’s vision – low cost, eco friendly and sustainable construction. It is also the site where architect G. Shankar, chairman of the group, envisages a four-storey bamboo house, taller than the tallest bamboo trees on the plot.
Shankar talks enthusiastically about construction using bamboo – its practical aspects as well as its aesthetics. He mentions about the feel of the natural material against the skin, but also the simplicity of technology in using bamboo for building houses, and its high tensile strength. Bamboo construction is also about effectively utilising a natural resource that grows very fast, and after it flowers, just withers away. “We are trying to showcase this material for structural and political reasons. In theses times of globalisation, it is pertinent that third world countries depend on their own resources. Kerala is very rich in building materials such as laterite, bamboo, and mud,” he points out.
30th anniversary
The 30th anniversary of Habitat also marks the formal launch of its bamboo school. Functioning informally for the past 10 years, it will be expanded to train engineers, architecture students, carpenters, masons, and others in housing solutions using bamboo. In short, ensuring local availability of bamboo and developing local capability to utilise it. This is part of utilising ₹20 lakh that Habitat has received from the State government for promoting bamboo constructions.
The Design and Build Bamboo School will function from a prototype of a bamboo house that Shankar built nearly 15 years ago, after constant experimentation. “Structural validity is important. Research and development in bamboo construction will be done here.”
Mud house
Another prototype of a house is built using compressed mud block. The 400 sq ft two-bedroom house costs only ₹4 lakh. It includes a multi-purpose hall, a kitchenette, and a toilet. “This is a house made in 1.5 cents or 2 cents. If need be, it can be extended by a couple of hundred sq feet without a huge change in cost.”
Another variant has a single bedroom but a more spacious verandah. Such affordable constructions are being used by Habitat in its various projects across the country and the world.
