MUD

Why do most people plaster their buildings?

Plastering is done primarily as  protective layer for a brick masonry structure. It also conceals the errors made in the brick-work. Well, master craftsmen like Laurie Baker have shown us that exposed brick work can withstand the test of time and be pleasing to the eye. Although their efforts have positive outcomes, we still continue to use copious amounts of cement, putty and several layers of paint to finish a brick wall.

With increasing demand over resources, it is the responsibility of architects to use materials with very less embodied energy. Mud as a material can be expressed in its true form through various methods like earth blocks, rammed earth, wattle and daub and many more. 

Residence at Kakkathuruttu

The residence at Kakkathuruttu constructed with Rammed Earth walls and Ferro-Cement Shell roof provides a refuge from the urban environment. Flanked on either side by canals, the site is accessible only through catamarans, influencing the design by the inherent constraints, sensitivity of the local nuances and concerns of environmental impact. The debris from a demolished house which stood at the site finds an expression in the present building. Site specific materials are utilised, along with innovative re-use of scrap as building elements.

A zero energy building powered by passive energy sources and carefully planned water management systems. Wind turbine and solar panels are provided on the roof. The remote location makes it all the more important to be self reliant to meet the energy requirements. 

Coonan Cross Church

The church at Mattancherry is a re-invention of the context, constructed entirely of compressed earth blocks (CSEB). The distinct style with catenary vaults, arches and a dome evokes the past, in a way, never seen before. The technique of construction was developed in Egypt, today known as the Nubian Technique. There are 13 vaults and a dome to complete the structure. Though a new construction, the site is historically important for the Koonan Kurishu revolt that happened here. Today, it stands as the second largest catenary structure in South India. The sacred alter is lit with sunlight that filters through the oculus and the space between the sinusoidal walls.

In 2013, an all Kerala workshop was held at the Holy Crescent College of Architecture, Aluva, were an amphitheater was built by the students using compressed earth blocks. /each block was made by students at the college; they worked continuously for 4 days to make their design a reality. 

Vaults and domes in exposed masonry are featured in several projects. The team of masons skilled in this method of construction are from a village in Pondicherry and had worked at the Auroville Earth Institute were they learned this technique. 

The projects are ambitious and exciting placed between ideas and reality. Speaking the language of the site and the materials, the building is reasonable to the maker  and to the nature.