Late Shri Sanat Mehta's low cost house at gandhinagar, indiaShirish Avrani
An attempt to bridge the gap between vernacular and modernity.
A low cost house for Late Shri Sanat Mehta ( Ex. Finance Minister of Gujarat ) at Gandhinagar, India, 1994
Low cost housing refers to houses that are inexpensive to build. IT doesn't mean that the houses will be inexpensive to live in.
The goal of low-cost housing is to save money while also maintaining buildings quality.
Following Properties Reduces Cost of Construction:
Locally available materials .
Improved skills and technology.
Without sacrificing the strength, performance and life of the structure.
Late Shri Sanat Mehta's low cost house at gandhinagar, indiaShirish Avrani
An attempt to bridge the gap between vernacular and modernity.
A low cost house for Late Shri Sanat Mehta ( Ex. Finance Minister of Gujarat ) at Gandhinagar, India, 1994
Low cost housing refers to houses that are inexpensive to build. IT doesn't mean that the houses will be inexpensive to live in.
The goal of low-cost housing is to save money while also maintaining buildings quality.
Following Properties Reduces Cost of Construction:
Locally available materials .
Improved skills and technology.
Without sacrificing the strength, performance and life of the structure.
In this era of concrete, let's understand the impact on the environment and revive the old technique, construction and make the environment pollution-free.
Architecture involves use of various different construction materials that require a unique constructiontechnique. But most of these construction techniques are energy intensive techniques.
Mud construction system is less energy intensive and very effective in different climatic conditions.
Earth is one of man's oldest building materials and most ancient civilizations used it in some form. It was easily available, cheap, and strong and required only simple technology.
Its all about the new environment friendly bricks that are now in more demand as compared to clay bricks. So how its useful and what it contains is explained here.
Foundation wall
• The height of the foundation wall required for farm buildings depends on the soil condition of the site.
• Deeper foundation is necessary in loose soil and shallow in firm rocky soil.
• Generally the height for light farm building will vary from 18” to 30”. The thickness will vary from 9” to
12”
• a. Material used
o Foundation footing can be made of cement concrete or brick and cement mortar.
o Concrete foundation is stronger and is called monolythick foundation.
o Brick foundation is provided with stepped up increase in width towards the base. It is not so strong as
concrete.
o b. Method of putting foundation
o Trenches of suitable size are put up to receive foundation. The base is hardened, made smooth and level.
o Then the footing and foundation wall is put up to ground level.
o The surface is smoothened and levelled again.
o At this place, a 4% layer of damp proof course of asphalt or other material is introduced to prevent
absorption of moisture
(1) Wall materials
A. Bricks
a).Building bricks
o They are made out of brick earth, which are 50 per cent clay and 50 per cent sand.
o Rectangular blocks are prepared by molds and cut by machines.
o Then they are heated in the Kiln at proper temperature.
o Well made machine bricks will have standard dimensions of 9" x 4½ " x 3".
o They will have uniform shape, colour and texture and will be sharp on angles.
o They produce clear ringing sound when struck with hard objects.
b).Vitrified paving bricks
o These are hard, impervious and durable bricks paving more than 10 per cent of iron oxide.
o They are heated at very high temperature to the point of vitification.
o They are grooved on the outer surface and have a strong and hard finish. They are damp proof.
o They are special bricks made for use as flooring in animal houses.
c).Glazed bricks
o These are small bricks made of china clay and finished with glaze or enamel on the outer surface.
o They are used for providing sanitary finishes on walls and the places where hygienic condition and washable
surfaces are necessary.
o They are very costly bricks.
B. Stones
a).Granite:These are hard and natural stones. They may be black in colour or light Grey.
o They are durable and weather resistance and are commonly used for the construction of walls and floors
in animal buildings.
o The surface should be of roughened periodically by chipping.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
LSPM 201 LIVE-STOCK AND POULTRY MANAGEMENT 3(2+1)
32
b).Whin stones:
o They are also hard rocks but not so durable and weather resistant as granites.
o They are used for wall constructions and broken stones are uses as a common ingredient of cement
concrete.
o c).Sand stones
o These are immature rocks of recent formation. They are not strong and durable and not used in heavy
constructions.
o They are capable of being dressed into different shapes and patterns. Hence, they are used for architectural
works.
C. Binding Materials
a. Lime
In this era of concrete, let's understand the impact on the environment and revive the old technique, construction and make the environment pollution-free.
Architecture involves use of various different construction materials that require a unique constructiontechnique. But most of these construction techniques are energy intensive techniques.
Mud construction system is less energy intensive and very effective in different climatic conditions.
Earth is one of man's oldest building materials and most ancient civilizations used it in some form. It was easily available, cheap, and strong and required only simple technology.
Its all about the new environment friendly bricks that are now in more demand as compared to clay bricks. So how its useful and what it contains is explained here.
Foundation wall
• The height of the foundation wall required for farm buildings depends on the soil condition of the site.
• Deeper foundation is necessary in loose soil and shallow in firm rocky soil.
• Generally the height for light farm building will vary from 18” to 30”. The thickness will vary from 9” to
12”
• a. Material used
o Foundation footing can be made of cement concrete or brick and cement mortar.
o Concrete foundation is stronger and is called monolythick foundation.
o Brick foundation is provided with stepped up increase in width towards the base. It is not so strong as
concrete.
o b. Method of putting foundation
o Trenches of suitable size are put up to receive foundation. The base is hardened, made smooth and level.
o Then the footing and foundation wall is put up to ground level.
o The surface is smoothened and levelled again.
o At this place, a 4% layer of damp proof course of asphalt or other material is introduced to prevent
absorption of moisture
(1) Wall materials
A. Bricks
a).Building bricks
o They are made out of brick earth, which are 50 per cent clay and 50 per cent sand.
o Rectangular blocks are prepared by molds and cut by machines.
o Then they are heated in the Kiln at proper temperature.
o Well made machine bricks will have standard dimensions of 9" x 4½ " x 3".
o They will have uniform shape, colour and texture and will be sharp on angles.
o They produce clear ringing sound when struck with hard objects.
b).Vitrified paving bricks
o These are hard, impervious and durable bricks paving more than 10 per cent of iron oxide.
o They are heated at very high temperature to the point of vitification.
o They are grooved on the outer surface and have a strong and hard finish. They are damp proof.
o They are special bricks made for use as flooring in animal houses.
c).Glazed bricks
o These are small bricks made of china clay and finished with glaze or enamel on the outer surface.
o They are used for providing sanitary finishes on walls and the places where hygienic condition and washable
surfaces are necessary.
o They are very costly bricks.
B. Stones
a).Granite:These are hard and natural stones. They may be black in colour or light Grey.
o They are durable and weather resistance and are commonly used for the construction of walls and floors
in animal buildings.
o The surface should be of roughened periodically by chipping.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
LSPM 201 LIVE-STOCK AND POULTRY MANAGEMENT 3(2+1)
32
b).Whin stones:
o They are also hard rocks but not so durable and weather resistant as granites.
o They are used for wall constructions and broken stones are uses as a common ingredient of cement
concrete.
o c).Sand stones
o These are immature rocks of recent formation. They are not strong and durable and not used in heavy
constructions.
o They are capable of being dressed into different shapes and patterns. Hence, they are used for architectural
works.
C. Binding Materials
a. Lime
Book Formatting: Quality Control Checks for DesignersConfidence Ago
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Quality control is vital to every industry. This is why every department in a company need create a method they use in ensuring quality. This, perhaps, will not only improve the quality of products and bring errors to the barest minimum, but take it to a near perfect finish.
It is beyond a moot point that a good book will somewhat be judged by its cover, but the content of the book remains king. No matter how beautiful the cover, if the quality of writing or presentation is off, that will be a reason for readers not to come back to the book or recommend it.
So, this presentation points designers to some important things that may be missed by an editor that they could eventually discover and call the attention of the editor.
Between Filth and Fortune- Urban Cattle Foraging Realities by Devi S Nair, An...Mansi Shah
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White wonder, Work developed by Eva TschoppMansi Shah
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Through an exploration of brand psychology and consumer behavior, this study sheds light on the intricate ways in which effective branding strategies, strategic social media engagement, and user-centric website design contribute to altering consumers' perceptions. We delve into the principles that underlie successful brand transformations, examining how visual identity, messaging, and storytelling can captivate and resonate with target audiences.
Methodologically, this research employs a comprehensive approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. Real-world case studies illustrate the impact of branding, social media campaigns, and website redesigns on consumer perception, sales figures, and profitability. We assess the various metrics, including brand awareness, customer engagement, conversion rates, and revenue growth, to measure the effectiveness of these strategies.
The results underscore the pivotal role of cohesive branding, social media influence, and website usability in shaping positive brand perceptions, influencing consumer decisions, and ultimately bolstering sales and profitability. This paper provides actionable insights and strategic recommendations for businesses seeking to leverage branding, social media, and website design as potent tools to enhance their market position and financial success.
Sanat Meht's Low cost house - Revised June 2022.pdf
1. AN ATTEMPT TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN VERNACULAR AND MODERNITY
LOW COST HOUSE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Residence for Late Shri Sanat Mehta, Gandhinagar -1994
Shirish Avrani Architect - Planner
2. Shirish Avrani
Architect – Planner
Mob : 9004454478
shirish.avrani@gmail.com
I am extremely grateful and indebted to late Shree Sanat Mehta who gave me free hand
for undertaking such unique project of building with mud as well as caring out various
innovative technologies. He always encouraged me for experimentation of several
innovative design ideas at various occasions.
I was fortunate to have person like him as my guardian and guide.
This was a pioneering initiatives working with stabilized
mud blocks with non-erodible mud plaster using tar primer
as well as use of Mangalore tiles filler slab technology in
Gujarat. (1994)
3. Late Shri Sanatbhai Mehta, a political leader and a social
worker had a deep loving association with the tribals of Gujarat.
He expressed his view to build a tribal house in his land at
Gandhinagar – a state capital. It was a great challenge to adopt
elements of design of tribal house and construction technology
to suit urban environment and contemporary life style.
A simple person “ Down to Earth “
• Ex. Finance Minister of
Gujarat
• Ex. Housing Minister of
Gujarat.
• Ex. Member of Planning
Commission.
• Ex. Member of Parliament
• Ex. Chairman of Narmada
Sarover Project
Late Shree Sanat Mehta
1925-2015
4. Objectives
▪ To understand the application of Appropriate technology through live experiment
▪ To have demonstrative effect among other elite class of people – that low cost
technology is not only for poor but also for high class of people. It is a “way of life” and not
the compromise.
▪ To bridge the gap between vernacular and modernity. A step towards Responsible
Architecture
▪. To identify problems and constrains of :
▪ Convincing the client
▪ Construction process
▪ Contractor
▪ Availability of materials
▪ Finding Laborers – training
▪ Construction time
▪ Maintenance problems.
▪ To experiment innovations like non erodable mud plaster, filler slab etc.
▪ Resistance against natural calamities like earthquakes and cyclones.
▪ To work out actual cost of construction.
▪ To understand and visualize aesthetics of simplicity
5. Tribal Architecture is an Architecture of commonsense:
The South Gujarat tribal house is having a different design context. It has structural grid of 8’ X
11’ wooden post beam system. Forming left bay for cattle, middle bay of living and storage and
righ bay for kitchen and sleeping areas. Roof is made out of country tiled pitch roof. The room
spaces are divided with flexible partition of bamboo mat with mud plaster or wattle and daub
walls. This gives a great flexibility for various permutations and combinations of spatial
arrangements within a structural grid. This basic concept of space making was carried forward to
suit the requirements of contemporary life style.
Typical tribal house. The column located at kitchen is skillfully eliminated for getting free space by
removing opposite column, creating counter balance cantilever action.
6. Transformation : Adaptation of composite structural system. Wooden columns replaced by precast
RCC column - a tribal house of South Gujarat
7. Design Considerations – Adaptation of Vernacular in urban Context.
The principles of vernacular Gujarat tribal architecture was adopted and modified to suit
with urban environment, keeping in mind the life style and values of the owner. The Plot
area comprises of 330 sq.m. (15m X 22m) having East-West orientation. The total built-up
area 171 sq m with ground floor area of 104 sq m. The axial entry is provided which
leads to central open courtyard, around which all other activities are planned. The bed
room is at the rear end for access to South-West wind direction, along with kitchen and
store with a separate service yard are provided.
8. The first floor consists of two bed rooms with attached bath and terrace. An umbrella
(Chhatri) is provided in terrace indicates and emphasis the main entrance bellow.
The wooden columns were replaced with cheaper than RCC, circular steel posts
(available from scrap of Alang Ship breaking yard). The intermediate floor and
sloping roof of Mangalore tiles filler slab was constructed for better insulation and
cheaper costs. Walls are made of stabilized mud blocks, with non erodable mud
plaster. Doors and windows were made with pre-cast frames and Nuwud MDF
shutters.
9. View from first floor- Rose window
made from empty bottles
Columns made out of scrap steel
pipes, available from Alang Ship
breaking yard.
10. The open-to-sky central courtyard surrounded by vestibule, living room, dining area with stair and
swing makes it transparent dynamic living space.
11. Dining area. The exposed ceiling
of Mangalore tills filler slab is
visible.
12. THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS:
1. The Compressed Soil-Block Making:
1.1 Tests and Mixing
Ribbon Test to Check For Soil Plasticity: Roll a small handful of soil (with just enough water to
make it stick together) into a ribbon of ¼ to ½” diameter. Check how long it can be rolled before it
breaks off. In this case, 4” length is sufficient.
Ribbon test for Soil
Plasticity
13. Optimum Moisture Content Test to Check for Maximum Density:
Make a ball of soil of 2 to 2.5” diameter, and drop it from a height of 3.5 to 4’. If the ball does
not fall apart, it indicates too much of moisture cointent, and is therefore not suitable for block
making. If it collapses into a patch of 2’ to 3’ diameter, then moisture content is optimum.
Too much of moisture
content keeps the soil ball
intact
Optimum moisture content –
A spread of 2 -3 feet
14. Stabilizing the Soil:
Cement, cement and lime, lime, bituminous tar products and molasses are some of the
stabilizers used to prevent soil softening when it absorbs moisture.
Since soil in Gnadhinagar is red, sandy lloam, 4% of cement was added by volume, over the
soil and then it was manually mixed. If mixing is not done thoroughly enough, the blocks will be
defective .
Mixing soil with
cement stabilizer
15. 1.1 Making the Blocks
ASTRAM the block-making machine developed by ASTRA (Application of Science and
Technology for Rural Areas – Bangalore), required 5 people to produce about 400 blocks per
day, each block being 9” X 7” X 5”. The procedure is as under:
Fill the mould with
prepared soil with the
help of a scoop;
17. Curing the blocks for a fortnight
Comparision of good and bad
blocks:
The right hand side block shows the
uniform mix of soil and cement. The left
hand side blocks are bad blocks in
which mixing of earth and cement is not
thoroughly done. This may affect the
strength of the block.
18. Compressive Strength Test for Stabilise
Mud Block:
Stack blocks up to a height of 6 feet,
keeping the base blocks slightly apart. A
crack should be avoided in the base block
in order to ensure good construction.
Field test for compressive strength
Test for Comprehensive S
of Block:
Stack blocks upto a height
base blocks slightly a part.
avoided in the base block i
good Construction.
2. Erecting Column
Scrap steel pipes from the
Yard are comparatively c
19. 2. Erecting Columns
Scrap steel pipes from the Alang Ship-Braking
yard were comparatively cheaper than market
ones, besides being stronger and joint less. 4.5”
diameter pipes of 4-5 mm thickness were used as
a supporting structure.
2.1 Footings
RCC footings were provided for steel pipes, while
the rest of the foundation were made out of
conventional brick masonry.
2.2 Fitting the Bars with Footings
Base plates were welded with projected bars for
the column footings. The upper part of the column
was provided with holdfasts, to be inserted into
beams
The erection took only three days, much less
then RCC column.
20. 3. Mangalore Tile Filler Slab Roof
The concrete below the ‘Neutral Axis’ of the slab is redundant and can easily be replaced with other
cheaper material like tiles, bricks or coconut shells, on which a thin reinforced slab is cast.
Construction steps follows :
• Formwork similar to RCC slab, spread with the engine oil .
• Manglore tiles immersed in water for 24 hours before use.
• Reinforcement bars placed at 18 “ X 12 “ C/c distance (or as specified in design) in case of 10
feet slab span, Main bars (10 mm dia.) were placed along the short span and 8 mm dia. bars
along the long span.
• Negative bars are projected up to 2 feet at the junctions of walls or beams.
• Mangalore tiles placed as filler materials, one above the other, in the gap between reinforcement
bars
• Concrete mix of 1:2:3 is manually done and then vibrated to avoid honeycomb.
• Proper curing for about seven days with water on the slab.
21. Mangalore tiles placed as filler materials, one above the other, in the gap
between reinforcement bars
22. Concrete mix of 1:2:3 is manually done and then vibrated to avoid
honeycomb.
23. 4. Precast Window / Door Frames
Pre-cast door window frames were used for entire house .The precast members were
assembled on site and erected along with the walls. Safety bars act as holdfasts. Shutters made
out of Nuwud MDF panels.
▪.The RCC frames are cost effective and give protection against termite.
▪.It is not affected by weather change.
24. 5. Construction of Walls
• After erecting steel column and filler slab, the 7” thick mud wall were constructed with cement
stabilized-mud mortar.
• 8% cement, by volume (double the amount used for the blocks) was used for the mortar,
because the strength of mortar has to be more than building blocks.
• Volume of one block (9”X7’X5”) is equivalent to volume of three bricks. Besides, no requirement of a
header-stretcher course for bonding, resulted in faster construction
25. Non erodible mud plaster – Developed by CBRI Roorkee – 15 part mud : 5 part tar :1 Part kerosene-
mixed together and applied on mud walls.
26. Non Erodable Mud Plaster:
Tar primer, produced by the Tiki Tar industry
found to be suitable for stabilizing mud
plaster, because it did not require heat
treatment to melt, or addition of kerosene to
dilute.
Primer is soluble in water and easy to mix
with mud. It is mixed in the ratio of 1:15 by
volume.
Test:
Soil mixed with tar primer does not
dissolve, like normal soil , in a
glass of water even over a long
period of time.
27. Preparation of Wall Surface for Mud plaster:
▪. Water is sprinkled on the wall before plastering;
▪. Non –erodable mud plaster was applied with trowel, like a cement plaster.
28. Cupboards and built-in beds were constructed out of Kotah Stone. The shutters and sliding
drawers were made out of NuWUD
30. B – ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-FAB CONCRETE
A – ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF A MUD-BRICK HOUSE
MUD-BRICK HOUSE PRE-FAB. CONCRETE HOUSE
ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF AN IGLOO
FIGURE 1 : Daily variation in the inside air temperature of an igloo
(at sleeping platform level) under typical arctic temperature
condition (From Fitch, J.M. and Branch. D. P., Sci. Am., 203. 6.
1960. Copyright 1960 by Scientific American Inc. All rights
reserved).
ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF AN ADOBE HOUSE
FIGURE 2 : Daily variation in the inside air temperature of an adobe
house under high daytime temperature condition (From Fitch, J.M.
and Branch. D. P., Sci. Am., 203. 6. 1960. Copyright 1960 by
Scientific American. Inc. All rights reserved).
FIGURE 3 : Comparison of the inside air temperatures in a mud-brick room and a prefab concrete room. (A) Mud-brick room (B) Prefab concrete room.
(From Cain. A., Afshar. F., and Norton. J., Architectural Design, 4/75, 207.)
IGLOO
31. Comparative Cost Analysis
Components Conventional
Technology
Non-
Conventional
Technology
Percentage
Saving in
Cost
Other
Advantages
Masonry Work Brick Wall Stabilized
Mud Blocks
with 5%
cement
53 % ▪ Better
insulation
▪ Biodegradable
▪ Energy saving
▪ Labour-
intensive
Column RCC Column 4.5”dia steel
pipes
11.26 % ▪ Fast
installation
Slab RCC Mangalore
Tiles RCC
Filler Slab
14.41 % ▪ Better
insulation
▪ Light in weight
▪ Saving in cost
in case of
RCC structure
Doors Teak Wood
frame &
Panel shutter
RCC Frame
Nuwud
Shutter
27.88 % ▪ Eco-friendly
Windows -do- -do- 31.34 % ▪ -do-
Plastering Cement
Plaster
Non –
erodable
Mud Plaster
47.14 % ▪ Decorative
texture is
possible
* The property tax collected by the local authority can be reduced as the cost of
the building is comparatively lesser than the conventional structures.
32. Appreciation letter from Shri
Hasmukh Shah, Chairman of
Gujarat Ecology Commission
and Ex. Chairman of IPCL
35. To
Dear Shirish
I am glad to see your sketches and photos of
your family and other articles.
It is good to break boundaries so keep doing.
All the best wishes for future success stones.
Doshi
30 May, 2019
Ahmedabad