Architecture with Earth

Falling Water by Frank L Wright

2011-04-11T07:31:00.001-07:00

Falling Water by Frank L Wright

This house has influenced architects and students of architecture from the time it was built.

Concept for an Apartment Building

2011-04-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Conceptual design for an Apartment.

Architecture Sketches from my Sketchbook.....

2011-04-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

I don't remember that I made any descent sketches while I was in college of Architecture. Only when I passed out I realized the essence and need for it. Since I was not very good at sketching, I recalled my starting years in college of Architecture, wherein one of the faculty asked us to sketch. Initially it was part of our Basic Design class and very soon we all forgot about it also, but the with time I realized the importance of those words of my faculty. Till today I remember that day to give me the support to make new sketches to help me think better and grow as an architect. I am 200% sure that these are not the world best sketches, but they still part of me and every time they keep inspiring me to do better work. In-addition to that, I am grandly thankful to that faculty of mine who provided me all the support as a mentor for lifetime......

Works of Nadir Khalil.....

2011-03-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

It has been quite some time that I got my hands on Nadir Khalil's book " Racing Alone". The choice was simple since he is one of the pioneering masters in the field of earth art (architecture). Names like Laurie Baker, Hassan Fathy, Nader Khalil have always been associated with this basic building material, i.e. earth. Although there is a common thread amongst them, but the technique used and the geometry followed is distinctly exclusive.

Since I am awe inspired with his journey after becoming an architect (from US) and his work, so I feel the need to share my interest. There's lots to see and lots to learn from the master, even though he is not around.

Famous Rumi Dome

Eco Dome

Design 23

2011-03-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

The online platform HOMEPLANSINDIA has helped me to showcases all my designs at this point of time. All the designs have been worked through by me over a period of 2 years. I had the passion to work on them for quite some time, but didn't new the right way to take them further. Few were left in my tracing book, few were in loose paper which my staff kept it in there drawers. After a long time, I gathered my interest and energy along with the support from my husband who is also an architect to complete it. Other than him, 4 other staff members supported me to get this idea done for real.

So here we are with all our thought, efforts and concern to design & build homes which are economical, aesthetically appealing, spacious and livable for any family. The idea of this platform has always remained the same from the day one I conceived it, i.e. to provide good, neat and simple drawings so that any local labour /contractor can decipher the drawings on there own to build the house in any small / big city of our country with least intervention from an architect.

Since I am through with my saga, I am attaching the animated video of two of my designs.

If you like it then do leave a comment for us. (Supportive one's....ha...ha...ha..)

Few more selections of Earth Architecture from around the world

2011-02-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

Few of my best selection of Earth Architecture from all over the world. They are quite fascinating and every minute it seems like they are asking for your attention to appreciate the effort that has been taken to design & build them.

Spectacular collection begins here

Art of building with Mud in Islamic Architecture

2010-04-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

All over the world if we do a survey to locate Islamic Architecture, then we will realise that quite a number of these masterpieces have Earth as their basic building material.

Here I would like to share few of these master pieces, which constantly keep on influencing me. Its just not the material usage, but the thought in

1. Design

2. Pattern that folllows

3. Aesthetic appeal for the mass

4. Simplicity of delivering such intricate designs

5. Choice of colours

6. Text

and the list follows.....

Few of my best selections .....

Types of Earth Construction

2009-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

All around the world mud is one of the primary building material for one third of the worlds population. Although the type of construction differs from place to place as per the climatic conditions, the design of the structure becomes crucial to cater to the local needs. Recent shortage of resources has coaxed us to renew this long lost technique of construction in every continent known to man on earth.

Water is one of the biggest threats to this type of construction as against conventional kiln-burnt brick construction or cement or steel construction. Since rural people are the biggest users of houses build by mud, the technique used by them has remained more or less the same over the years, but with advancement in technology and eagerness of few concerned people to build a greener planet we have better, faster technology wherein compressed mud blocks (Compression Pressure - 39 kg/cm.sq.) or compressed mud walls are preapared which adsorp less than 5% water.

Type of Mud Archietcture practiced all over the world can be broadly divided into 5 different types, although its important to note that, it excludes the style further developed by Nadir Khalil (Iran) and others.

1. Wattle & Daub Construction (Mud & Woven Stick Construction)

Wattle & Daub is a building material used for making walls in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw.

2. Rammed Earth Construction (pise-de-terre)

Rammed earth construction is a simple technique wherein earth is compacted between formwork to make a homogeneous mass wall. It is a sustainable construction material, and it can be successfully designed and used in modern construction. Properly done, a rammed earth construction will create a building that is weather resistant, soundproof, insect and rodent proof, inexpensive to heat and cool, very comfortable to live in and will probably last for centuries.

3. Adobe Construction (Mud Blocks)

Adobe is one of the oldest building material, and it is made from sand, clay and water with some kind of fibrous or organic material (sticks, chopped straw & dung) which is shaped into bricks using frames and then dried in sun over a period of time.

4. Cob Wall Construction

Cob Wall construction is also one of the ancient type of construction wherein the Cob contains earth and straw or other fibers, which is very similar to adobe. Cob is normally applied by hand in large gobs (or cobs) for the building process.

5. Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB or CEB)

CSEB is commonly known as CEB. Compressed Earth Block, wherein mud, sand, silt & clay are mixed in an appropriate proportion which is put in a frame of block size 24 X 24 cm (other customized shapes are available with different machines), which are then compressed to a high pressure of 20 – 40 Kg/cm2 to generate blocks.

CSEB is a new advancement over adobe construction and is widely used in New Mexico, America. The first CSEB Building code development happened in New Mexico, in 2001. Approximately 55% of all Indian homes still use raw earth for walls. But the irony being Earth is still considered as a poor man’s material.

The machine used for compressing the mix is different for different places. Balram, Auram Press 3000 are used in India. These machines can produce different types of Interlocking blocks also, which are highly suitable for speedy and mortar less construction.

Art of Building with Mud

2009-09-30T23:33:00.001-07:00

Mud Architecture

Soil......Earth .....Mud......Dirt ......

whatever you want to call it, it is all around us and as they say " we the people of this earth" speaks for itself.

Tracing back the history of Building shelter with mud, will take us back thousands of years of human existence. We can link it from as early as Indus valley Civilzation (2600 - 1700 BC, part of India & Pakistan) to Great Wall of China(220 BC) to Modern Rammed Earth Houses. While we try to trace the evolution of mud architecture, we often stumble upon the great learning & understanding over the years about the usage of Mud in different styles, patterns & order.

Mud has other inherent advantages: It is extremely malleable and offers better insulation than steel-and-concrete structures, it decentralises the construction process because it utilises local material and technology and thereby obviates the need for a contractor, and it costs much less to maintain mud buildings.

One of the greatest sites World Heritage site is at Bam, Iran is Arg-é Bam Citadel which dates back to 500AD and was still inhabited till 1850. Since it is the largest Adobe Building construction in the world, UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage Site, which nearly covers around 0.18 sq.km. The UNESCO list of Heritage Sites also includes Fujian Clan Houses, Tulou wherein walls are not just of mud but of soil, sand & lime.

Numerous examples of Mud Architecture all around the World :

1. Ait Benhaddou, Morocco, Africa. (Unesco World Heritage Site )

2. The great mosque of Dijenne, Mali, Africa.

3. The ancient city of Shibam, Yemen, Morocco. World’s Oldest surviving Mud Skyscraper

4. The Hadhramaut region, Yemen, Morocco.

The city of Shibam, Yemen, Morocco is one of the most distinguishable of all since the tallest building heights around 30m, ie.100 ft. It’s interesting to note that all the floors includes their private toilets which means the level of maintenance to the complete building is crucial for the stability.

Mud Architecture is easy and simple to practice but it does require time to time maintenance as water and moisture are the biggest threat for its collapse. Accordingly roofing becomes main concern while designing the Mud Structure. If the wall can be designed as such that it avoids contact with direct splash of water then it impart few more years to the life of the structure.

Considering the scarcity and high cost of conventional building materials such as brick, cement and steel, Mud Architecture will be the next step which is also a more energy efficient way of construction.