Why Asbestos is Poison Asbestos reinforced cement sheets make for a cheap and effective roofing system that minimises the amount of steel used to erect it. Asbestos itself is a naturally occurring mineral found in many places and the fibre … Continue reading
Search Results for: sustainable
Local Materials
One of the first principles of sustainable and environmentally friendly architecture is to reduce the embodied energy of the materials used in construction. Embodied energy is the sum of all energy inputs–for manufacturing, all transportation, human resources etc–that are needed … Continue reading
Renewable Materials
Apart from materials derived from waste or those that are recycled, we also have the option to use materials that are naturally renewed. Examples of this are plantation timbers (which do come with their own set of problems). Plantation Woods … Continue reading
Recycled Waste Materials
There are numerous by-products, of some process or industry, that are considered waste and and it only takes a little imagination to recycle them to be of use for building and construction. Flyash As a fine residue from coal-fired thermal … Continue reading
Materials
The choice of materials is an important factor for determining a construction’s cost effectiveness and level of environmental friendliness, or sustainability. Recycling from Waste There are lots of materials like flyash and coconut husk that are considered waste but there’s … Continue reading
Sustainability
What is Sustainability? “Nature has enough for everybody’s need; not for everybody’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi Quoting Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi may no longer be fashionable but these words are more relevant today than they’ve ever been. Every material used in … Continue reading
RaBV Bungalow
One of a pair of neighbouring bungalows, this is now the permanent home of a couple who decided to settle in the the lap of the Matheran range. Site Conditions The plot slopes quite steeply towards the river Pej, so … Continue reading
PMK Bungalow
The design of a private residence at Kondhwa, Pune, was a very exciting project. No Reinforced Concrete Cement (RCC) has been used and we opted for load-bearing walls that are cheaper and, in my opinion, better for a building of … Continue reading
Prasol Office
Located along the Thane-Belapur road are a number of industrial estates and properties. At one time, this was a chemical industry zone and factories belched out huge quantities of toxic fumes that hung like a pall over much of Navi … Continue reading
Karjat Resort Technical Details
Materials Used Construction The entire project was built using load-bearing masonry and there are no concrete columns or beams – I have an aversion to RCC because the materials used therein are very energy-intensive and quite wasteful for low-rise structures. … Continue reading