A group of budding architects have come out with a low-cost eco-friendly technology to realise the dream of the common man to build a house of his own, at a time when construction costs are sky-rocketing.
The technology based on bamboo was presented at a national workshop being organised by Uravu, a social organisation, at Thrikkaipetta in the district.
The 29-day workshop is being organised in association with Fetzer Foundation, the U.S., and INHALF Habitat Forum, Pune.
The programme is aimed at finding ways to demonstrate bamboo’s versatility as a building material, study living conditions of bamboo workers, and explore ways to enhance their employment prospects, M. Baburaj, president, Uravu, told The Hindu .
The participants, including 16 architecture students and 14 designer students from various NIFTs and IITs across the country, have designed 12 models of bamboo-based house constructions. This includes three models each of two houses, with 300 sq ft and 450 sq ft respectively, as well as three models of a 600-sq ft community centre.
Furniture
They also designed 15 models of bamboo furniture at the workshop.
A field trip to tribal hamlets at Muthanga and Thirunelly was also organised to explore the merits and drawbacks of the traditional house construction of tribesmen.
“We had quite a different experience here as we get only theoretical knowledge in our classes that might not be realised. But here we made the designs of furniture and bamboo-based constructions that could be materialised,” said Sony Salna Priydarshini, a final-year postgraduate student, Production Designing, IIT Mumbai, said.
Keerthi Shaw, chief architect, INHALF, and a member of the advisory committee of the Indira Avas Yojana led the workshop.
Nibha Namboothiri of Uravu is the coordinator of the programme that will conclude on Friday.
