Earth has always been the core of construction, both in the simplest and the most complex of ways. It has provided for the materials that we use in processes both ecological and otherwise. It is our duty towards the earth to be responsible and learn the ways of ecological development to make a difference in the impact we have as people living and sharing this earth.… READ MORE...
NATURAL BUILDINGS
As a kid I have spent almost every vacation at my grandmother’s place. This house is in the farms where milk is got from cow every morning, vegetables from the farm, a little water pond close to the house and a lot of trees to play on.… READ MORE...
Foundations laid for the first 3 houses!
The foundations for the first 3 houses and their water tanks were completed last week.
A mix of cement, earth and rubble in the ratio 1:9:18 is rammed into the foundation trenches. For the houses, a layer of bigger rocks is laid on top of this mix and a slurry of cement and earth is poured to fill in the gaps.
The wait is over – at long last the compressor has arrived
The day everyone was eagerly looking forward to finally arrived! The compressor was brought in last week and the shotcrete work began in full swing.The workers and volunteers sweated out their days to complete the shotcreting of the first water tank near the office container.… READ MORE...
Director General of CSE visits Sacred Groves
Sunita Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) visited the Sacred Groves site today.
CSE has started lobbying the Indian government about the need to regulate the dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Much of this waste goes into wetland areas surrounding our cities resulting in the drying up of essential water bodies and aquifers.… READ MORE...
Base Camp – final resting place for the containers
Last week saw frenetic activity at Sacred Groves with the wind turbine tower being test erected and the containers being manoeuvred to their final resting place at Base Camp. Here are some photos of the latter. Click on a pic to see it large with captions.… READ MORE...
Segregation happening in Sacred Groves
At Sacred Groves, we believe in segregation.
Indeed, we believe that whatever is different should be separated.
For example, one does not mix highly expensive Italian marble with old concrete, or country fired bricks.
We were fortunate enough to have access to the huge and highly mixed piles of Matrimandir rubble for free.… READ MORE...
The Show Must Go On
The Summer School is finished and all the students have gone back to their places. However, our hands are still on work! Architect Sunmi, from Korea, and the interns are now working on the final details of the house… sketchings and more sketchings… Carry on, team!… READ MORE...
The End is Never Really the End
The sacred groves team will never forget you… READ MORE...
AND A GATE SHALT IT BE!
With the office and dormitory almost done, we now have the gateway to the community on it’s way. Made using recycled wood from trees that fell during last year’s cyclone Thane and natural, raw wood. Yash, an art student, from Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore, volunteered to help us start in the building of this gate.… READ MORE...