SPARC

Nepal Project

2012-05-25T09:19:00.000+05:00

I was in a village called Kasur, near Lahore. They had some flat roofed earth buildings which were just fascinating. The mud plaster, craftsmenship, the roof were exquisite. But unfortunately they are being replaced by modern construction material. I asked an elderly person about his perception on the mud building and he said, there is a “firman” that when all the mud buildings are replaced, then the prophet will come back again. Is that a common perception?

But anyways its a great initiative. We are doing similar stuff in Nepal, please check http://www.abari.org by Nirpal.

Gaza's New Mud Homes

2012-05-24T09:12:00.000+05:00

The Muslims of Gaza are now re-building their lives using mud bricks! A Palestinian had travelled to South Asia and saw how the people lived in mud dwellings, and used the idea in Gaza. Now it is recieving funding and help, and the people are building their own mud brick homes.

From BBC

Students of Architecture from Lahore on excursion trip to TGD

2012-05-22T08:46:00.000+05:00

Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka, commonly called Dolls Village, has special attraction for all those who are interested in architecture and those who are interested in traditional housing. Thanks to the long standing experiences of the TTTC with simple technology and mud housing, combined with the cooperation with SPARC in Lahore that the common perception about local and environment friendly materials has undergone a fundamental change. Through the initiative IEC@BNU and through the FPAC Foundation, which publishes the quarterly magazine GREEN MAG, for the first time architecture students and professors have visited the project intentionally in order to acquaint themselves with the traditional mud architecture and how it exists in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka. On their way to the village, between Lahore and Okara, the group also visited a Bio-Gas-Installation facility. Here are some images of the trip.

Captions:

Top Picture: Group in front of bus to starrt back to Lahore

Picture 2: Mr Farooq AFA (NGO) and Head of the TTTC and Dr. Norbert Pintsch with the special visitors who came to see the mud houses in TGD

Picture 4: Group at Bio-Gas-Installation

Fine Art of Mud Architecture

2012-05-17T10:20:00.000+05:00

Dr. Norbert Pintsch and Other Participants of Mud Village Project

2012-05-16T10:08:00.000+05:00

Ghayyoor Obaid

Anees Yaqub

Punjab University, Dean: Anis A. Siddiqi

Comsats, Shahnawaz Zaidi – Ehtesham Hussain

Aesthetic, LokVirsa Dir Gen Khalid Javaid

PeerzadaGroup, Faizaan Peerzada

Fine Art of Mud Architecture

2012-05-14T09:13:00.001+05:00

PhD in Architecture

2012-05-12T10:20:00.000+05:00

University of Southern California, Los Angeles is seeking students to join their doctoral program in architectural technology in Fall 2010 in their globally diverse program.

The University is looking for students interested in all aspects of the building envelope: sustainability, daylighting, structures, computing, BIM, energy performance, power generation, glare, intelligent skins, etc.

We have substantial scholarships, an outstanding new facility, and extraordinary faculty. This year we hired three new tenure track faculty members in architectural technology.

For more information, please contact: Douglas Noble, FAIA, Ph.D., Chair of the Ph.D. Program School of Architecture, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-0291, USA

Email: dnoble@usc.edu or www.usc.edu/

SPARC Overview

2012-05-11T23:21:00.001+05:00

Housing in Rural, Urban and Fully-Autonomous Entities

2012-05-08T22:47:00.000+05:00

Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch (DGFK, Germany) & Aaron Pinsker (IPC, USA)
In Cooperation With:
SPARC (Ghayyoor Obaid) & TTTC (Omar M. Ali), Pakistan
CAT (Njini King Caro), Cameroon
TM (Ricardo Coslez), Colombia

Introduction
This article again refers to “housing”, the architectural, economical and philosophical aspects of which have already been discussed. In this article we will discuss the scientific and technological aspect (Architecture, Urban & Regional Planning) which however are not totally independent of other areas of the culture. As clear-cut diagrams and illustrations mean more than words for the engineer and scientist, the accompanying text may be considered a literary explanation of the important inter-relationship. A very simple text for the illustrations would probably not appropriately describe the total picture.

Housing in Rural, Urban and Fully-Autonomous Entities
In the following we will discuss the very basic questions of "housing" and describe the range of possibilities between the Rural Entity and the Fully-Autonomous entities, in the middle of which is the most widely practiced concept of Urban entity. Seen from a total perspective, the Urban entity is the subject as well as the object, because the actors in this system are not able to act freely as they are bound by the compulsions and dictations of economy. The actors are forced to act in the way as they do because the system does not allow any other alternative. And: the actors in the system don’t even realize that they are not acting of their own but actually are being acted upon !

The complexity of the urban infra-structure has reached its technological climax, the innovativeness of which is marginal. Should the human organism be laid out in the manner which corresponds to modern industrial way of production, i.e. with highly differentiated functions, it would require a space of more than 10 cricket fields. This example amply describes the limitations of the so-called development. It is in-effective, wasteful, ruins the environment and leads to over-exploitation of resources.

Dubai as a metaphor of out-dated construction techniques is suitable with its fantastic design-results at all levels and without any logic. The model therefore is: A major destruction of environment and misuse of resources is taking place through short-term investments and the mis-use of foreign labourers, who are even happy and not aware that they are actually contributing to destruction of their own traditional cultures. The transformation actually reflects a successful implementation of a totally-outdated economic system, which becomes possible only when the state actors do not realize their mistake and it is characteristic of the ruling elite.

The terminology used in the illustrations enable us to imagine what is coming and to develop a point of view over it. The "new" is actually not really new, rather it has developed parallel to the existing system without being noticed.

In the existing system, generally named as Urban Entity (UE), there are hardly any logical repairs possible in the system as these under the garb of "Problem Solutions" actually represent a "Problem Deferment"!. Solutions have to be judged according to their making sense because, not everything that can be accomplished also makes sense! Infact, only the least will make sense. The sense is actually made when a self-restriction is imposed. “Luxury” in this sense would be the voluntary sacrifice of the available and restriction of the consumption!

Terms like “Sustainability”, “Resource Protection”, “Environmental Protection” are empty words, as long as they are not filled with logical content, they do not remain without influencing the existing system and the relevant behavior and way of life. “Renewable Energy”, is another empty term, which suggests something, which is scientifically nonsense, because energy actually cannot be renewed (see: Law of Conservation of Energy). At the most, it can be transferred (energy change). In this way we can also explain another phenomena related to the educational sector: The number of educated persons does rise with the increase in population and holders of academic degrees but not necessarily the number of intelligent persons!

Continuous creation of newer models in Marketing of products is a waste of energy and resources. This also refers to sectors, which appear far from the industrial background, namely the health sector, the educational sector etc. In totality these measures are actually a mountain of income generating measures. The residents of an Urban Entity are forced to submit to these measures. In the past when the total number of participants was very limited,, the system still functioned on the limited scale but its deficiencies become immediately evident when applied on a global scale.

Urban Life today means:

expensive living,
high density of residents per square kilometer,
increasing infra-structure costs with increasing productivity of the individual, who works on more efficient machines
sinking tax income through uniform and global production (the individuals are exchangeable, when the same thing is produced globally),
higher water consumption,
higher energy consumption,
increasing environmental pollution,
increasing social problems,
unhealthy way of living, etc.

The more affluent here can equalize some of the problems through their purchasing power, but they are actually part of an old system and actually live on the cost of the general public.

The technology therefore needs to avail literary and philosophical help in order to clarify things otherwise it will continue to confuse problem-deferment with problem-solution. It is necessary to prefer voluntary self-restraint over the income generation!

Conclusion
The article can go into more depth in professional literature, where it reaches mostly the specialists. In case of a holistic approach, there are apparently unimportant remarks regarding other areas, which may normally appear not to belong to the subject area, but are helpful in understanding the total picture by the reader. The article about "Autonomous Entity” points out information about a closed system or hides behind new ideas (for example the Zero and Plus energy houses). The transportation system points to the Flettner Rotor in the context of mobility and water and the Savonius Rotor in the context of Energy Transfer.

Contacts Mud Village Project

2012-05-08T22:01:00.000+05:00

Monitoring: SPARC / SES, Anees Yaqub, 042-3631 43 83
summit@brain.net.pk

IPC / SPARC, Norbert Pintsch, 0300-8461 226
pdp33@hotmail.com

Profile / IPC, Ghayyoor Obaid, 0333-452 4 222
ghayyoor@hotmail.com

SPARC / C and I, SAJ Shirazi, 0300-8131855
sajshirazi@gmail.com

Tikedar: Muhammad Iqbal, Harappa, 0300-69 20 826
qamarzaman23@hotmail.com

Appropropriate Technology: Farooq Achmed / AFA (NGO)-TTTC, 0300-41 74 360
farooqrai@hotmail.com

Plot: PeerzadaGroup / RPT, Faizaan Peerzada, 0300-842 40 10
faizaan.peerzada@peergroup.com.pk

COMSATS Lahore, Prof Dr Rafq Malik, Chairman Faculty of Architecture, 0342-416 95 89
drrafiqmalik@ciitlahore.edu.pk

Prof Shahnawaz Zaidi, 0321-94 31 994
shahnawazz@hotmail.com

Prof Ehtesham Hussain, 0300-98 19 149
ehtesham_hussain@comsats.edu.pk

Punjab University, Lahore, Prof Dr Anis A. Siddiqi, Dean, Faculty of Architecture and Design, 0321-840 5273
anissiddiq2001@yahoo.com
anis@cad.pu.edu.pk

COMSATS, Abbottabad, Prof Dr Amir H. Malik, 0300-58 11 639
ahmalik@ciit.net.pk

Use of Mud Architecture in Pakistan

2012-05-04T21:13:00.000+05:00

Sample of Mud Architecture from Pakistan

Making sense of social media

2012-05-04T11:16:00.002+05:00

See how I got PageRank increase on May 3, 2012

Thatta Kedona

2012-05-03T00:47:00.000+05:00

Volunteers: Dr. Senta Siller, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Jane Carew-Reid, Dr. Karola Groch, Inge Keindl, Uta Moeller, Dr. Sophie Kuppler, Berhard Staeck, Erika Burchhardt, Gertrud Baier, Renate Perner, Lutz Fluegge, Dr. Nadine Jaeger, Isabel Merkel, Marleen Hamid, Monika Kuppler, Sabine Piltz, Stephanie Walter, Gundula Gomoll, Alexandra Scherer, Rainer Schmitt, Helga Schmitt-Pritz, Dr. Tobias Leonhardt, Marlies Bartkiewitz, Dr.Gwendolyn Kulick, Gittebritt Pintsch, Dr Leila Siller, Dr. Elizabeth Carew-Reid, Ursula Huette, Dr. Amir Malik, Khalid Javaid, Lok Virsa, S A J Shirazi, Ulrike Vestring, Omar M. Ali, AFA (NGO)

Thatta Kedona cooperation with: SPARC, FPAC, BNU, IPC, DGFK

Projects: Kite-project, LC-project, Village Museum, Internet Radio Station, Buffalo Pond, TTTC, WAC, BHU, WaterProject, IEC@BNU

Housing

2012-04-28T11:46:00.000+05:00

Download Housing by Prof. Dr. Norbert Pintsch here

Institute for Alternative Methods (IAM) at BUST

2012-04-27T21:08:00.000+05:00

Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch

The idea for the establishment of the IAM originated out of inquiries from students of local universities, who received information on various occasions at the CAT (NGO) about Appropriate Technology.

Objects mentioned in the literature can be seen at CAT and their working is explained.

Apart from NGOs, companies and private persons, there are CAT clubs in 7 Sub-Divisions and a Youngster-Club since 2009. Future students learn here in a playful manner among others handling devices, which are friendly to the nature.

The basic concept of IAM was initiated due the excellent relationship with BUST. Of course one finds reference to Appropriate Technology in the brochures of universities, these are however understood as an extension of the regular study programs.

But Appropriate Technology is lot more !

It is a complete way of thinking and therefore to be placed equally along with disciplines like economy, trade, society and politics etc.

It is important here to differentiate between the rather holistic approach with elements from traditional culture, like visible in rural life, and the rather open resource depleting system, a it can be seen in urban and semi-urban regions and the closed independent system.

The holistic system is however not to be understood as an escape into the past, but on the contrary, it carries forward the futuristic approach by building upon the existing open system.

One can understand it well from the following example: the low-tech method of faeces-disposal on one side and the high tech recycling method as used in the europeon space lab.

Brainstorming about new concepts also finds its place at the IAM: The Organization of Climate Conserving Nations (OCCN) as an alternative to OPEC...

We can see, AT is more than only a technical aid.

Appropriate Technology Exhibition

2012-04-27T20:01:00.000+05:00

In the face of energy shortage, particularly in the rural areas of Pakistan, Appropriate Technology is the obvious solution and people are turning to appropriate technology solutions. Best thing is that appropriate technology solutions are not only affordable and available but they are guaranteed anywhere.

Dr. Norbert Pintsch, an appropriate technology expert, was chief guest at appropriate technology exhibition in Superior College, Dipalpur (district Okara) on March 13, 2012. Mr Shakeel -teacher in the college and a member of Technical Transfer and Training Center from men AFA (NGO) in village TGD – had arranged an awareness exhibition. Dr. Norbert Pintsch also gave a presentation to the students and other notables of the area. Among others, PTI member and MNA Mr Arshad, Mr Rashid and Mr Wariam, Mr Farooq and Mr Ilyas from the AFA-NGO also attended the function that was followed by interactive questions answers session.

Mud Plaster

2012-04-25T08:08:00.000+05:00

Hotel Mandawa (India) Desert Resort with mud covered cottages.

Construction Structure

2012-04-24T23:50:00.000+05:00

The term Housing was discussed in some of our recent articles and we referred there to the Cultural Model, in which the human effort is actively promoted, -the traditional one as well as the socalled traditional one.

Although it was not possible to completely avoid the conflict between religion and science, still we were able to describe in one go a new cultural formula

The Inter-dependencies between the individual areas can be epoch-making, for example currently the economy. Is an individual area so important, it can be compared with a cold star in the astronomical terminology. In our example this would mean that the economy does continue to play its role but not in its current ly known form.

The history of science amply proves that followers of a certain surviving form or method cannot be easily convinced through arguments. As the Nobel-prize winning scientist Max-Planck once said, the next generations will be "normally" working with things that today appear to be cimpossible or non-sensical. This should mean that it takes only one generation to make unthinkable quite normal.

The technology is extremely dependent upon the economy and therefore economic considerations appear always to play a role, which however is only short-term and short-sighted and actually based upon a postponement of the problems and actually assumes the problems of Resource-wastage, environmental pollution and destruction of cultural values, which however also requires the ability to recognize these losses. One cannot and does not want to recognize something which one cannot see!

A holistic way of looking at things is the necessity here. A view of the situation in totality, which is hardly possible in the current era of times pressures, which prevent reflection on the real causes and contemplative view of things.

Read the article in print in Techno Biz Nov 2009 issue!

Tickets

2012-04-24T23:25:00.000+05:00

Have a look at southern methodist mustangs tickets, southern miss golden eagles tickets and st bonaventure bonnies tickets and buy.

Traditional Mud Craftsmanship

2012-04-20T12:40:00.000+05:00

This superb documentary by Caterina Borelli is a study of the craftsmanship involved in the construction of the mud brick architecture of the Hadramaut and Do'an valleys of the Yemen, and the cultural aspects of a traditional architecture which incorporates an understanding of buildings which dates back centuries. Expanding the existing knowledge of these earthen heritage properties, examining their behaviour in the local climate and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship as part of a sustainable conservation future are the other prominent concerns of this work. Read the review of the documentary here !

Employee Monitoring Software

2012-04-19T17:47:00.000+05:00

We are living in the world of telecommuting and extended networks. This has given many benefits but has also made monitoring difficult. Human resource management is one of the complex functions of any organization already. Now it is even more difficult when people are working at different places. At the same time HR functions are directly related to the productivity of the organization. That is why organizations need to track activities of the employees. What they do on computers and how they use them?

Thanks to Employee Monitoring Software that it does just that – allows you to control remote employees from anywhere. The feature packed Employee Monitoring Software is ideal for tracking activities, use of applications on computers and productivity monitoring and more. Have a look and see what My Team Monitor can do for your organization, large or small. Better still download the software and give it a whirl. It is free for now. And it is utterly easy to use: sign up as a boss, add your employees, employees download software and you monitor then from web interface. And it is available for Windows as well as Mac. No download for the boss while you keep a virtual eye on what your staff is doing and how.

Given my own interest and experience, I can say that monitoring is essential. Employee Monitoring Software will make it easier to know what your employees are doing and how your IT resources are being used across the network? You will not only be able to control remote employees from anywhere but this will sure increase your remote employees productivity by monitoring their work efficiently. In the world of telecommuting and extended networking, this seems to be a must for every savvy boss. Have a look and take advantage of free offer. This may be one of the best business decisions you make.

Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture

2012-04-12T10:32:00.000+05:00

In pursuance of the noble objectives of UNESCO and its allied agencies, Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture (SPARC) has been founded to:

Pursue programs aimed at improvement and education of Art among children, women and youth.
Actively cooperate with agencies organizations working to the development of Art and culture internationally.
Undertaking programs for the introduction and welfare of artists associated with different branches of art from Pakistan as well as of foreign countries.
Establishment of a film club to encourage and appreciate valuable art films made within the country and abroad.
Production of documentaries on various subjects relating to art and culture.
Participate in the international campaigns for different venture of human welfare.
Foster and develop contacts with the organizations engaged in the improvement of art and culture in Pakistan and abroad.
Perform all such acts, matters and things, as are incidental or conductive to the attainment of all or any of the above mentioned objectives which may have direct or indirect bearing.
Take all appropriate measures to further the above objectives

Kidschoice adams family hueylewis

2012-03-28T19:38:00.001+05:00

Have a look at kids choice awards tickets, the addams family tickets, huey lewis and the news tickets and enjoy.

Earthen Architecture

2012-03-14T07:45:00.000+05:00

Earthen buildings come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, made from materials like fired clay, compressed dirt and a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water. People have been using various forms of earth to build structures for centuries, from the traditional thatched cottages in Devon, England to the pueblo villages of the American west. The ancient ‘rammed earth’ building technique has been used in Neolithic architecture sites and modern cathedrals alike.Here are 10 diverse examples of structures made from earthen materials.

See 10 Mud and Dirt Buildings here!

Caught Mud Handed

2012-03-12T08:31:00.000+05:00

English volunteer Hattie Miall shows her hands after preparing a mud floor in a school that Italian architect Valerio Marazzi is constructing out of old tyres and mud for children of the Jahalin Palestinian Bedouin tribe on July 12, 2009 in the Judean Desert near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)