BASEhabitat SUNDERPUR housing, Housing project for Sunderpur village, India by BASEhabitat

U4 = 105 mm

U1 = 105 mm

It has since implemented numerous projects in the ﬁeld of humanitarian architecture worldwide. Approaches based around suﬃciency and the maxim of “helping people to help themselves” are based on the following: social and cultural integration, environmentally friendly construction, the use of local resources, and the aesthetic demands of the architectural design as requirements for sustainable and self-determined development. In addition to construction projects on the ground, workshops are regularly held on working with earth and bamboo as construction materials. There is also a summer school that takes place every two years with active, international participation. BASEhabitat has been a member of the UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture since 2014. In October 2018 the Master Architecture | BASEhabitat has started, the Postgraduate Degree | BASEhabitat will follow in February 2020. BASEhabitat invites built environment professionals to develop radically new ideas for dealing with today’s global challenges.

ISBN 978-3-901112-87-4

Schweizer Broschüre Rückenstärke 8,5 mm –>

basehabitat sunderpur housing Housing project for Sunderpur village India basehabitat sunderpur housing India

148 mm

BASEhabitat is a project studio within the Department of Architecture at the University of Art and Design Linz. Professor Roland Gnaiger founded BASEhabitat together with students in 2004.

BASEhabitat SUNdErpUr |A6 | Umschlag 4/4-CMYK | 100#er | rZ am 26. Juli 2019

U3 = 105 mm

148 mm

U2 = 105 mm

Schweizer Broschüre Rückenstärke 8,5 mm –>

BASEhabitat SUNdErpUr |A6 | Umschlag 4/4-CMYK | 100#er | rZ am 26. Juli 2019

“Design is nothing but a humble understanding of materials, a natural instinct for solutions and respect for nature.” B. V. Doshi, Indian architect

Kunstuniversität Linz University of Art and Design Linz die architektur

BASEhabitat Sunderpur Housing Housing project for Sunderpur village India

BASEhabitat Network Map

india current project enquiries realized projects participating students research

india

Preface

Project Description

Republic of India

Sunderpur Village

Research Trip Analysis, Results, Catalogue of Recommendations

Design Process Summary of the Research, Master Plan, The Buildings, Materials, Indoor Climate, Wastewater Disposal

Construction Practice 1

Construction Practice 2

Construction Practice 3

Process Timeline

114

Résumé | Outlook

120

Stakeholders

126

Imprint

BASEhabitat has been cooperating with various NGOs since 2004 for research and the realization of construction projects. In recent years numerous remarkable projects have emerged from basehabitat and the students’ enthusiasm and engagement. Nowadays we can build houses where the indoor climate can be controlled without using any external power, houses that use the local resources instead of destroying them, houses that improve the environment and provide people with new opportunities and employment. This can be done without restrictions, sacrifices, or additional responsibility. It just needs more intelligence, teamwork, passion, joy, and beauty. In theses matters there is no difference between the “rich North” and the “poor South” of the world. BASEhabitat works in this field.

Kitchen in the east block

Project Description

The cooperation between basehabitat and the village of Sunderpur began in 2012 on the request of the nonprofit association Little Flower. Over the course of the coming years, students engaged with the village and its structural-spatial development opportunities. Through the years, a master plan was developed, several buildings designed and two buildings realized. The second project, sunderpur housing, tries to improve the catastrophic housing situation. The people of Sunderpur live in an extremely dense condition, the population is growing, and many of the aging apartments have become dilapidated. The hot and humid climate destroys the structures, and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015 caused further damage. North view of the west block; The nursing home in the front, the water tower in the back

The project began with a research trip in October 2015; students traveled to the site with a project leader and gathered information. Detailed surveying, sketches and photo-documentation of the existing fabric created an initial project basis. Conversations with the villagers, who were asked about their current housing situation, the construction deficiencies, and the difficulties, proved to be very important. It was also crucial to understand not only basic needs, but also everyday habits and local lifestyles. Together with the villagers, basehabitat decided to develop a model solution for the creation of new housing, which provides different types of accommodation for families ranging from three to ten members. The houses are designed to allow 13

flexible room layouts so that the buildings can adapt to the changing needs of a family. The proposal envisages a two-row development with nine residential units on two-stories, inhabited either by a large family or by two middle-sized households. Small, private courtyards and covered verandas provide private outdoor spaces. The two rows of houses form a common courtyard; two widely protruding roofs protect residents from rain and sun. Since there had already been experience with adobe in the village, this technique was also chosen for sunderpur housing. Not only is the clay-brick construction method cost-effective, it also guarantees a pleasant indoor climate despite high humidity, extreme summer heat, and cold winter nights. sunderpur housing creates simple, but high-quality houses. The concept is such that it enables the villagers to build similar homes for themselves. During the entire construction period, site manager Dominik Abbrederis from the basehabitat team was in Sunderpur, coordinating the work and training village laborers, as well as the students. Lucia Mackova, Diego Martinez and Max Weidacher were especially committed to the project and stayed for several months. An invaluabel asset to the team was Shiv Shanker, the local site manager, who was the heart and soul of the construction project. The construction practice for the students lasted between 6 and 14 weeks and offered space for personal experience and intercultural encounter. 14

The sunderpur housing project involved 28 students and 15 workers from the village. The local workers took part in all projects. They gained important qualification over the years, and received a certificate of employment at the end of the construction phase. The long-term cooperation with Sunderpur has enabled basehabitat and the students to reach an in-depth understanding of the place and its inhabitants.

Courtyard, view to the north

Republic of India

afghanistan china pakistan

New Delhi

nepal

Sunderpur

Kathmandu bhutan

bihar india

bangladesh myanmar

indian ocean

sri lanka

Capital • New Delhi Border countries • Pakistan (3,190 km), China (2,659 km), Nepal (1,770 km), Bhutan (659 km), Burma (1,468 km) Bangladesh (4,142 km) Population • 1.28 billion Age structure • < 15 years 27.34 % • 15–64 years 66.42 % • > 64 years 6.24 % Population growth rate • 1.14 % Population density • 368/km2 Official languages • English, Hindi Literacy • 71.2 % (age 15 and over) HDI Human Development Index • 0.640, rank 130 Median age • 27.9 years (vs. Austria 44.0 years) Average life expectancy at birth • 69.1 years • male 67.8 years • female 70.5 years

cia World Factbook, ipicture.de, Aussätzigen Hilfswerk Österreich 2018

Sunderpur Village

The leprosy village of Sunderpur in the north of the state of Bihar, India is located close to the town of Raxaul, in a bend of the Sirsiya River, directly on the border with Nepal. The second-largest border crossing to Nepal via Duncan Road is nearby. It is one of the most important trade routes between the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and the Indian inland. During the research trip in 2015, the border was unfortunatly closed for months due to political protests.

View from the water tower

Bihar is the poorest state in India, and with 1,100 residents per km² one of the most densely populated areas in the world. In comparison, the average density in India is around 360 residents per km². Over 50 % of the population are illiterate, compared to 25 % in the whole of India. Although Bihar is the lowest develeoped state in the country, economic growth and a spirit of optimism is visible everywhere. While the surrounding towns have experienced considerable growth and have changed in accordance with the general development in India, Sunderpur has not yet managed to align with this economic growth. The next largest Indian town, Raxaul, where there is also a central train station, is around twenty minutes by foot from Sunderpur. Raxaul in India and Birganj in Nepal are major trade cities. They are both growing exuberantly and are increasingly swallowing up the surrounding villages. 21

The area between the towns is characterized by small ribbon-built villages containing mainly mud huts and a few buildings made of concrete and burned bricks. The village life takes place on the dusty streets: children play, people trade and linger. Almost every village has a place of prayer and a small dukan (shop) that provides the most essential things for day-to-day life. The villages are often surrounded by bamboo groves and rice fields. Sunderpur has a special history. The Little Flower project, founded in 1981, was to be an important sanctuary for leprosy patients and a point of contact for medical care, job creation, and education. Besides the medical challenge that the disease brings, it is above all a social one: People are stigmatized because they or their family members suffer from leprosy. Many of those affected have found a new home in Sunderpur. On many levels, life there is connected with a feeling of security. Today, around 800 people live in Sunderpur. The last two generations are largely leprosy-free; any leprosy cases can be treated in sufficient manner. Despite numerous measures offered by Little Flower, the village still has structural deficiencies, and most homes are in very poor condition. In addition to the structural damage caused by cheap materials and construction methods not suitable for the humid climate, there are crowded living conditions and a serious lack of sanitary facilities. 22

Chicken party; chicken is grilled on a spit

Sunderpur 2017

phoolna teachers’ flats basehabitat Project 2015 pond

sunderpur housing basehabitat Project 2017

Birganj

Sirsiya River; boarder to Nepal main square

Research Trip

Analysis In October 2015, six experienced students traveled with Project Manager Wolfgang Fiel to Sunderpur in order to collect and develop the fundamentals for the design process. During this time, the village plan was updated and the existing buildings were surveyed. Components that seemed relevant for the design, such as the internal dimensions, room heights, window positions, etc., were also documented. By interviewing families and individuals living in the village, the students received a more detailed idea of the population structure, the construction deficiencies, and the needs of the residents. The study of sanitary facilities, which had already been prepared by Flavia Matei and Max Weidacher in an earlier project, also provided an important basis. The observations focused on the morphology of individual housing blocks, the water supply, as well as existing or missing toilet facilities. In addition to the observations, a series of interviews with the residents helped to better understand the social circumstances and cultural characteristics of the village.

Sunderpur village

g12 4 g12 3

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The students carried out the housing survey in October 2015. Following the structure of the village, the survey was organized block-wise. Figures 1.1 h1 and 1.2 (right and below) show blocks H and G, including the location of the units. The diagrams h3 depict the following collected data (Fig. 1.2): mosque square meters per person, unit number, floor plan and family numbers. The dashed line indicates a threshold of the available space. Households that fall below this line severely lack space. A summary provides an overview (1.3). The survey aims at identifying households that lack space (marked in red), structures that show severe structural damages (marked with a red dot), as well as units with vacancy (marked with a cross). 32.85

Fig. 1.1 10.9

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vacancy.

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units. inhabitants. units. lackinhabitants. of space. structural damage. lack of space. vacancy. structural damage.

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Fig. 1.3

lack of space. structural damage.

vacancy.

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unit NO sqm sqm / person floorplan 8.6

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Results Through the results it was possible to determine in which apartment blocks the density is particularly high and where the damage to the buildings is highest. Moreover, the two-room apartment emerged as the predominant type. Many families only own a one-bedroom apartment though. Because of a lack of space, often the whole family sleeps in one bed. In many families, three generations live together and suffer from the lack of space and, along with it, the lack of privacy. Many apartments and small houses have a veranda, where there is space for the grandparents to sleep. The covered area in front of the house also serves as a place to spend time during the day. Meals are often prepared here. Residents share the courtyards with their own goats and use the flat roofs for drying laundry and grass. Socially well-functioning structures were also discovered in the village: large scale structures, for about several families, as well as small scale courtyard houses for one family. The fact that these types of structures are popular is mainly due to the semi-public to private open spaces.

Research on the sanitary facilities showed that wells act as centers of community in many places. Drinking water is also fetched at the wells; a water connection in the houses is an exception. The drawback of this is a lack of privacy when taking care of personal hygiene. The toilets are organized as communal toilets and situated outside the buildings at central locations. There is critical overuse of these toilets, since they are shared by more than three families on average. The exposed location of the toilet is unpleasant, especially for women, who, as a consequence, use the toilets at night. Again, the necessary private sphere is lacking. A major problem is the unresolved wastewater disposal. Wastewater is collected in cesspits, but without proper disposal. During the rainy season, the cesspits regularly overflow. This situation needed to be improved by all means in the design. Hence, water connections and private toilets were planned in the new apartments. In order to get a grip on the sewage, a separately constructed wetland for wastewater treatment was developed.

Catalogue of Recommendations

Village children help with the research work

During the research on site, many discussions were held with the village leadership, addressing various changes in the village and projects for the future. Through the information and the visualisation, it became clear in which areas of the village, in which apartments, and for which families the need for action was highest. The cooperation between basehabitat and Sunderpur was therefore essentially to improve the housing situation in the village. Together with the village council, a decision was made to develop a model solution for the creation of new housing. The recommendations of basehabitat were presented on to the village. The village put together a “committee,” to select the families who were to move into the new buildings.

Conversations and discussions with responsible persons

Design Process

Cornelia Kriechbaumer, Student, Reports Summary of the Research Returning to Linz after the research trip, the design process began with the processing of the collected data, the search for references, and the building of models. The following basics were determined for the design: • use of locally available building materials • earthquake-proof construction • improvement of the sanitary situation • flexible room layouts in the buildings Students, working in groups of six, worked out designs for nine apartments two-story structures, which should integrate well into the fabric of the village. Particular attention was paid to the flexibility of the floor plans. They should be easily adaptable to the needs of residents and the different family sizes.

View from the east block

Housing School phoolna teachers‘ flats Administration Chicken farm Main square Kindergarten Boys‘ hostel Girls‘ hostel sunderpur housing

Hospital

Position of sunderpur housing within Sunderpur

50m

Master Plan The two rows of the housing compound frame a common courtyard, which is thereby shielded from the hustle and bustle of the village. The orientation of the houses towards the courtyard, with the open verandas and roof terraces, creates space for encounters and enables visual contact between the individual apartments. The widely protruding roofs protect the buildings from driving rain and overheating.

Model view from the south

The two rows of buildings differ in their depth and density. In the eastern row, the kitchens and sanitary facilities are located on the ground floor only. This three-bedroom apartment type lends itself well to a multi-generational family. Kitchen, toilet and washing facilities are shared, but the arrangement of the rooms on two levels creates enough privacy. The western row accomodates smaller, single-story residential units with their own sanitary and cooking facilities. Each family has two to three sleeping rooms, as well as an outdoor area, a courtyard, a veranda or a roof terrace at their disposal.

Model view detail of east block

The Buildings In the design of the apartments, the bedrooms are arranged around a private courtyard. Pre-defined niches in the walls save the costly purchase of cabinets. The size of the rooms is based on the space required by a bed. These rooms do not have to be larger, as they are mainly used for sleeping. Inhabitants spend most time of the year outdoors – on the veranda, on the roofs, and in front of the houses. The kitchen acts as a link between the veranda and the courtyard.

Elevation block east

Elevation block west

The water connection and the sanitary facilities are situated in a way that they correspond well to the daily routines. The staircase can be accessed from the outside as well as the inside of the building. As a result, either two separate residential units on the ground floor and upper floor, or one larger residential unit on two levels can be arranged.

Section A-A

Section B-B

Materials Because of the hot and humid climate the selection of the building material was particulary important. Serving as moisture regulators and storage masses, adobe bricks were used for the walls. The trained workers of the village made the bricks themselves. The buildings were raised from the ground and rest on a plinth, thus preventing them from getting flooded. Floors and ceilings of the apartments were made out of concrete. The roof was detached from the last ceiling to allow ventilation. A steel structure forms the roof, corrugated iron the drainage layer. Indoor Climate The distance between the upper slab and the roof provides sufficient air circulation and cooling in the summer. A large roof eave protects the façade from heavy rainfall in the summer. Bamboo panels in the staircases provide shade, light and air in the interior, significantly contributing to the pleasant atmosphere of the place. Wastewater Disposal On-site wastewater disposal posed a great challenge. Sanitary facilities are usually located outside the building (with a few exceptions) as community facilities, and often only accessible through dark corridors. This sanitary problem in the village was 48

to be solved in our project by standpipes in the house and private toilets. In cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (boku) Vienna, the proposed solution for a biogas plant in connection with a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment was developed as a sewage system.

Courtyard, view towards the water tower

Realization Construction Practice 1

Site Manager Dominik Abbrederis Explains After final preparatory work, construction commenced in February 2016. Dominik Abbrederis and Stefan Neumann shared construction management responsibilities for the first stage. Wolfgang Fiel frequently visited the site as a project manager. The first construction practice extended across the entire 2016 Summer Semester. Eight students were in the field for over three months. During this construction practice, the two buildings were built in their basic form and, at the end of construction, packed in black foil to protect them from the rain in the monsoon season.

Cladding the buildings for protection against rain

The first steps on site included the preparation of the floor slab on two strip foundations for the building in the west. While building the eastern structure, creativity was required. Due to the closure of the Nepalese border, importing sand was not possible, necessiting a change in the construction of the foundation. Instead of concrete, fired bricks were used as material here. As mentioned earlier, the walls of the buildings were made of adobe bricks, prepared in advance by the local workers, and joined with mortar. Sand and partly rice husks were added to make the clay thinner. After the construction of the roof band, which simultaneously served as a lintel for the doors and provided the necessary stability, the upper floor was topped with a concrete slab. 53

A lot of manual work on the foundations

Concreting the foundation of the west block

Storage of mud bricks

After completion of the ground floor, concerns about the relatively low ceiling height came up, as the future residents demanded ceiling fans, which necessitate higher rooms. The future residents expressed a desire to increase the height of the upper floor by 20 cm. Since the roof band could therefore no longer serve as a door lintel, bamboo was additionally used as a lintel. Thanks to the many helpers and local employees on site, compared to many other tasks on the construction site, the walls could be built relatively quickly.

Building the upper floor

Realization Construction Practice 2

Site Manager Dominik Abbrederis Explains After the monsoon break, the second construction phase started in the fall of 2016 with four students from the University of Art and Design Linz and a master student from boku Vienna, who did her master thesis on the construction of a wetland for wastewater treatment. The team was on site from October to the end of December.

South view of the inner courtyard

Right at the beginning of the second phase, the question came up as to whether the roof frame should be made of bamboo or steel. After discussions with the design group in Linz, it was decided that bamboo was not suitable due to the irregular growth and the great effort needed to bend it. Steel beams in the right shape and dimension could be relatively easily bought on the local market. The fact that basehabitat had already realized a similar project in the same village with the phoolna Teachers’ Flats made the work a lot easier: not only could the equipment (tools, formwork, etc.) be reused, the team also benefited from the experience of the first project. After the work on the roof structure had been completed, the requirements for the interior of the apartments were discussed, and the interior design was planned. A prototype apartment was built to provide a model for the other apartments. In this “show apartment,” the future residents could get an impression and offer suggestions. 61

Excursus: Prototype of a Staircase Since the two buildings are two-stories high, a suitable staircase had to be designed and built. The apartment block in the east received a spiral staircase made of steel, since apartments are located on both floors. For the block in the west, featuring three apartments per floor, a space-saving, massive staircase was needed. Due to the relatively small spaces, it proved difficult to develop a suitable design. In order to reduce space, Max Weidacher had the idea to build a spiral staircase made of concrete, tested in advance as a prototype on a 1:2 scale. A so-called “lost formwork” was built out of wood and mud brick. The stairs were concreted on top of it and the mud bricks removed after drying. Although very timeconsuming, the process stood the test.

Prototype of the spiral staircase

Spiral staircase made of concrete in the west block

Spiral staircase made of steel in the east block

East block, roof construction

“We all are very happy that we have reached our target. We fixed all horizontal steel on the roof and painted. We removed all bamboo, doka beam, doka plate and now it looks so beautiful. We have also cleaned all flats, the roof and our storage and arranged all equipments.” Indian worker

East block, view from outside

On-Site Cooperation By Eva Neumayerova, Volunteer The local way of working differs in many ways from our usual methods. We students could gain a lot of local knowledge through the construction practice, and share our learned experiences with the people living there. In particular, we were able to learn through handcraft and acquire new manual skills by working with clay, steel, brick and concrete. We learned how to work with a limited set of resources at our disposal, as well to follow the planning and organizational process on-site. Daily life on the construction site in India sometimes also brought unexpected situations that required some flexibility. The site managers Dominik and Stefan always found a solution and, thanks to them, the construction process was well-organized. For several months we worked in a country with a different cultural background and became part of the everyday life of the locals. We got to know the hospitality of the people from Sunderpur, as well as the habits and rituals. Communication took place in English and, when necessary, also nonverbally. We’ve also learned a bit of Hindi. Hence, the construction practice was a great experience for us, not only for our professional path. The welding machine is brought up to the roof

Realization Construction Practice 3

The Final Touches In the Summer Semester 2017, two groups of students traveled to Sunderpur to finish construction – the first group for two months in February|March, the second group for six weeks around Easter. Two students and two volunteers stayed the entire Summer Semester. Max Weidacher became an important support for Dominik, the site manager, during the completion phase.

Kitchen shelf made of mango wood

Under the guidance of the Indian workers, a group was busy with the installation of the windows and door frames. The frames were positioned, leveled and fixed into the openings in the wall with metal bars. Another step was fitting the windowsills, made of mango wood, into the finished window openings. Precast concrete elements with ornamentation and a mosquito net were additionally mounted in all small wall openings. Finally, the edges were plastered aligned with the window frames. One important stage was the final plastering of the exterior façade. A mixture of earth, cow dung, sand and water – called masala – was used for this. The components were mixed by foot in pits and transported to the building site. In the plastering process, the walls were first moistened to allow a better bond between plaster and the dry wall. Small scoops of plaster were applied to the wall, smoothed and screeded. 73

The rest of the team took care of the missing steel profiles for the roof construction of the western block. Measurements taken on the roof, revealed that not everything matched with the plans. Before the work with the steel profiles on the roof could begin, bamboo for the screens at the stairs had to be organized. The bamboo was felled in the village’s own bamboo forest, then disbranched and transported to the construction site. The bamboo was split and the frames for the screens filled with it.

Students working on the bamboo

The village children are always present during work on the construction site

Bamboo from the village’s own bamboo forest

Towards the end of the construction work, experience with adobe bricks could still be gained by bricking up the apartment partitions. Testing out various mixtures for the plaster turned out to be especially interesting. The construction work ended with a big party, featuring a sound system brought in by a tractor, a dance floor, and the entire student team in new, locally tailored, Indian dresses.

“Our working day always began with a delicious breakfast in the community hall. At 8 o’clock we all gathered at the construction site and got our assignments. Usually we had to reach a weekly target, which was set on Monday. The highlight of the morning was always the chai break with biscuits. After a long lunch break, we worked until the late afternoon. A working day had about six hours of working time; we also worked on Saturdays.” Lavinia W., student 77

West block

Team of the last construction practice 2017

Terrace in the west block

Doing the dishes in the new kitchen

Bedroom in the east block

Upper floor of the east block

Staircase in the west block

Bedroom in the west block

Terrace in the east block

Process Timeline

Village of Sunderpur

Spring 2015 Project Preparation Decent basic research is of immanent importance for basehabitat. Therefore, project manager Wolfgang Fiel was already there in spring 2015 for initial preparations. In addition to informative talks and discussions with the village leadership, a suitable piece of land was selected.

Sourrounding of Sunderpur

Research work and meeting with Kabita

October 25 – November 11, 2015 On-Site Research During a research trip in autumn 2015, information was collected, analyzed and worked out in Sunderpur for ten days. A comprehensive documentation of the housing situation and an analysis of the biggest deficiencies was put together. An essential part of the research was to better understand the way of living of the local population.

Research work with local children

Traditional mud house

“We soon learned that people seem to take more time in India. Waiting eight hours for a train for the first time was an exercise in patience and serenity (you can’t really depend on German Rail either). However, I had the feeling that in India it does not bother anyone that everything takes a little longer.” Anne R., student

Existing situation of the houses

November 2015 – January 2016 Design and Input by Experts After research had been completed, a design-draft was developed in a semester project. Experts provided impulses on important topics.

Model of the complex

Günter Langergraber from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (boku) in Vienna was on site discussing the subject of sanitary engineering, Kamyar Tavoussi from the Vienna University of Technology addressed earthquake safety, and Christoph Lüthi from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (eawag) covered the topic of sanitation. Social and intercultural aspects were addressed up by Daniela Pamminger from Caritas Austria Auslandshilfe.

Design presentation in Linz

Applying clay plaster

December 7–8, 2015 Earth Building Workshop

Rammed earth blocks

Not many students who wanted to participate in the construction work had practical experience with earth building. A two-day workshop in Linz, led by Kai Längle and Hannah Kordes, was offered for a better understanding of the material as preparation for the work at the construction site in India. The main focus was on rammed earth, adobe and clayplastering. The material was excavated on site in Leisenhof, tested for its usefulness by various methods, and finally processed into suitable products. Working in icy temperatures, the pleasant anticipation for India grew.

February 2016 Start of Construction After the design process and the final preparations on site concluded, it was time to start working on the shop drawing, which were done by Lucia Mackova, Diego Martinez and Max Weidacher. The construction site started in February 2016. Stefan Neumann was on the spot right from the start, joined shortly afterwards by Dominik Abbrederis. The two shared the construction management responsibilities during the first stage. The plans, drawn up in Linz, were discussed with the village leadership, the workers, and the future residents, receiving positive feedback throughout. However, the start was slow because the cesspit right next to the construction site overflowed and flooded the area. Pumping out the place took a long time. Just before the ground-breaking ceremony, perennials and trees were carefully transplanted.

Stefan and Dominik starting construction management

February 2016 – June 2016 1st Construction Practice In addition to six students from the University of Art and Design Linz and two volunteers, 15 workers from the village completed the work group. The entire team received tailor-made uniform clothing to wear. Work on the construction site began with enormous pleasure.

Strip foundation, east block

101

102

Strip foundation, west block

Bricked-up strip foundations

Uniform work clothes

103

Construction of the upper floor

104

October 2016 – December 2016 2nd Construction Practice After the monsoon break, the second construction phaes began in autumn. Students from Linz, as well as Sophie Haselhofer from boku Vienna, were on site. The wastewater treatment project started.

West exterior view

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Autumn 2016: Wastewater Treatment Text by Sophie Haselhofer, Student Everything started with a project at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. Together with a colleague I took the chance for an unusual, yet interesting and demanding project: the planning for a Wastewater Treatment plant in Sunderpur, India. In the course of the project I decided to write my Master’s thesis about that project as well, giving me the unique opportunity to travel to the village Sunderpur in India and implement the previously planned Wastewater Treatment system.

Wastewater treatment plant

Building a Wastewater Treatment plant in a place where sanitation had rather been neglected was a very exciting challenge and Sunderpur’s people showed great interest in the plant and the Indian workers didn’t get tired of explaining its functioning to the villagers. We built a Constructed Wetland and a Biogas Digester Tank since that system benefits its users (biogas for cooking). In general, the workers did a great job and always had good ideas when it came to finding solutions for the problems that occurred at the construction site. I had a great time in Sunderpur, I learned a lot there and hopefully I could also teach the people something about wastewater treatment. What I will always remember is the friendliness and hospitality of the villagers and the joy of the children. 107

“Through the construction practice in India, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with earth-building techniques. In these four weeks, Dominik, the site manager, showed us how to plaster, build walls and place windows in a mud brick building.” Olivia K. und Julien R., student

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February 2017 – April 2017 3rd Construction Phase In a final phase, the last touches were carried out. Paving the yard between the buildings concluded the construction work. The handover of the keys was celebrated with a big party and the first residents moved into their new homes.

Team of the last construction phase in 2017

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Throughout the Project: Housing sunderpur Blog Throughout the construction phase, a blog regularly provided information about construction progress, workshops, small trips or Indian food. Started by the students from Linz, it was later continued by the Indian workers. This allowed everyone who was not on site to be informed about the progress of the project.

June 2017 Follow-Up As part of the follow-up, students shared their experiences and impressions about their stay in India at the university in Linz with colleagues, lecturers and experts who were included. Visitors were able to gain insight into the project via a presentation, film, photos, and exhibition stations. Indian food and music created an authentic atmosphere.

Excerpt from the blog

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Résumé | Outlook

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sunderpur housing is the second basehabitat project in the village of Sunderpur dedicated to housing. Since 2013, we had been involved in the construction phases of the phoolna Teachers’ Flats in Sunderpur, hence over the years were able to better understand the village and its inhabitants. We have also learned from our mistakes. By the same token, the villagers profitted more from basehabitat over time.

East block, housing unit for a larger family

However, the dialogue with the villagers, which is very important to us in our projects, was not always easy and proceeded in a buildup of tension between hierarchies and structures in the village. This became clear when the decision had to be made, who should move into the new houses. We brought up this question to the village leadership before planning began and initiated a dialogue. However, in Sunderpur it is not commonplace for residents to be asked for their opinions and needs. Therefore, it was clear that the decision was to be made by the official leadership, and yet it was not accepted by everyone. As basehabitat, we only gave basic recommendations from our perspective. But we left the decision to the village or the village leadership. On the construction site it was much easier to work in a participatory manner. It was obvious that clear guidelines, but no hierarchies, were useful. 115

Under the direction of our site manager Dominik, all the workers (Indians and the students from Linz) gave their best and learned from each other. Some were better at reading plans or laying bricks, others at implementing details, and others again at organizing and improvising. One year after project completion, a photographer and a journalist traveled to Sunderpur to document the structures. The conclusion was consistently positive. Not only are the apartments in a very good condition, they are well accepted by the residents and gladly inhabited. Above all, the semi-public space between the buildings is very lively and an important meeting place. Children play and adults meet, people work and parties are celebrated there. The private open spaces allocated to the individual apartments are also much used. These open spaces complement the apartments and fulfill different needs. The masonry furnishing also works well, since it creates an easy care, functional apartment. From a construction perspective, the apartments are in very good shape. They passed the crucial test of a major flood in August 2016. Although the clay buildings were up to a meter underwater, they suffered no damage. The slightly damaged clay plaster could be repaired by the workers independently. A proof for us that the know-how we had tried to impart came across.

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A downside in the project remains the still-finished wetland for wastewater treatment and the biogas plant, planned with the help of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (boku) Vienna. During the realization process, the village leadership decided that there are other priorities in the village and the construction was halted. As a consequence, neither the water supply nor disposal works as planned. As in the case of all other projects, we, at basehabitat, were repeatedly required to take on challenges and develop solutions in the course of the project. In addition to planning and manual skills, our students especially learned to live their every day lives in a demanding location, to meet people of another culture with humility and empathy, and to overcome prejudices and misunderstandings. sunderpur housing has been an enormously enriching project for basehabitat and all the people envolved.

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Stakeholders

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Dominik Abbrederis was born in Feldkirch, Austria 1983. After a three-year apprenticeship in a sports shop he travelled and worked as skiing and surfing instructor and dedicated some years to social work with children in Austria and Portugal. In the meanwhile he attended an outdoor guide training in Switzerland. Martin Rauch he met by coincidence and worked four years in his company, where he got to know rammed earth techniques and its peculiarities, while taking part in some great earth construction projects. He also attended the advanced training Fachkraft Lehm in Germany to get a deeper understanding of the material.

Max Weidacher, was born (1987) and raised in Vienna, Austria. After graduating from secondary school and completing his social service, he took a gap year. In 2008 he enrolled at the Institute of Art and Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Returning from a one-year study exchange at cept University (Ahmedabad, India) in 2013, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree of Architecture with excellence. Enrolling at Kunstuniversität Linz to join the activities of basehabitat, Max was engaged in the presented project sunderpur housing in all phases (2015–2017). He is currently finishing his Master’s degree at the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the Technical University Vienna.

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Jaishivshanker Kumar “Shiv Shanker”, was born in Sunderpur, India, in 1979. With his parents suffering from leprosy, he and his two brothers and two sisters grew up in the Little Flower Leprosy Village. He studied political science, after graduating he managed the Little Flower Spinning and Weaving unit for 22 years. After only 8 months as the head of the Little Flower Construction Unit, he joined the new construction group and the basehabitat team. For 16 months, Shiv worked as a team leader along side of Stefan Neumann and Dominik Abbrederis. There, he was organizing materials and directing workers. Ulrike Schwantner, studied spatial planning in Vienna and Buenos Aires with a focus on social space research and participatory processes in cities and communities. The approach of making our everyday lives sustainable runs through all her professional projects, from isra (Vienna University of Technology), Agenda 21 Vienna and Upper Austria, flacam (Argentina) to basehabitat (Linz). Since 2013, Ulrike has been working as studio manager at basehabitat, where she has been responsible for the organization and coordination of construction projects and practice-related training formats such as the basehabitat International Summer School, the Master Architecture|basehabitat, as well as the new basehabitat graduate and postgraduate study programs.

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Research, concept and design Hinda Bouabdallah, Cornelia Kriechbaumer, Lucia Mackova, Diego Martinez, Flavia Matei (research only), Eva Schmolmüller, Max Weidacher Research supervision Wolfgang Fiel Research phase 10|2015 Planning phase 10|2015–01|2016 Design supervision Wolfgang Fiel, Roland Gnaiger Design consulting Sophie Haselhofer, Günter Langergraber and Maria Wächter (boku Sanitary engineering), Kamyar Tavoussi (tu Wien seismology) Cooperation with Little Flower Austria Project coordination Wolfgang Fiel, Ulrike Schwantner Financel support Land Oberösterreich, Karl Zünd Stiftung, Pancivis Stiftung, Little Flower Austria, Private Spender Construction Practice 1 01|2016–02|2016 Yoann Cormerais, Hana Davidkova, Mathilde Leibfried, Lucia Mackova, Diego Martinez, Ana Melnicenco, Eva Neumayerova, Max Weidacher Construction Practice 2 09|2016–12|2016 Mathilde Leibfried, Diego Martinez, Max Weidacher, Francesca Zanella Water Management Sophie Haselhofer (boku) Construction Practice 3 02|2017–07|2017 Paul Eis, Vincent Hirrien, Benedikt Hofmann, Valentina Hölzl, Su-Mara Kainz, Yuti Kainz, Olivia Kudlich, Vittoria Mittelstädt, Julien Reinhart, Anne Maren Rotter, Lea Stahnke, Jasmin Steinberg, Marlena Unterberger, Lavinia Wagner, Vinzent Wallner 124

Construction management Dominik Abbrederis, Stefan Neumann Construction support Lucia Lopez Bennasar, Max Weidacher, Francesca Zanella Local team Shiv Shanker, Abdul Alam, Biltu Alam, Shambhu Mahato, Sanif Mia, Ash Mohammad, Ramesh Sah, Ramzan Alam, Jeetendra Patel, Bhaju Ali, Ranjeet Raut, Rita Devi, Reyaj Alam, Sonelal Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Shivnarayan Kumar Thanks to Dominik Abbrederis for his enthusiasm, and his dedication on site. Kurt Hoerbst for the beautiful photographs. Lucia Mackova, Diego Martinez and Max Weidacher for putting their heart and soul into this project. Shiv Shanker for keeping spirits up and being the link between locals and basehabitat students.

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Imprint

Copyright © 2019 · Published by BASEhabitat · Printed with the support of the University of Art and Design, Linz All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise. BASEhabitat · University of Art and Design Linz Kunstuniversität Linz die architektur · Hauptplatz 6, 4020 Linz, Austria · Phone +43.732.78 98 3293 · basehabitat@ufg.at · www.basehabitat.org

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Editing · Elisabeth Judmaier Text · Sophie Haselhofer · Elisabeth Judmaier . Cornelia Kriechbaumer . Eva Neumayerova . Ulrike Schwantner Copy editing . Sigi Atteneder · Claudia Mazanek Translation · Brian Dorsey Photos · Dominik Abbrederis · Hinda Bouabdallah . Paul Eis . Vittoria Ferrazoli Mittelstädt . Wolfgang Fiel . Kurt Hörbst . Cornelia Kriechbaumer . Wolfgang Lang . Mathilde Leibfried . Lucia Lopez . Lucia Mackova . Ligia Martins . Julien Reinhart . Ulrike Schwantner . Jasmin Steinberg . Philipp Steiner . Vinzent Wallner . Max Weidacher Drawings · Max Weidacher . Diego Martinez

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Graphic design · Basic Concept: Clemens Schedler, Büro für konkrete Gestaltung · Implementation: Elisabeth Judmaier Typeface · Questa Sans designed by Jos Buivenga & Martin Majoor Pre-press Production · Boris Bonev Paper · Lenzing Impact 250 g · Lenzing Impact 100 g Printing · Thurnher Druckerei 1st edition · 500 copies, July 2019 isbn · 978-3-901112-87-4 Price of sale · 10.– eur

BASEhabitat University of Art and Design Linz Kunstuniversität Linz die architektur Hauptplatz 6, 4020 Linz, Austria Phone +43.732.78 98 3293 basehabitat@ufg.at www.basehabitat.org

U3 = 105 mm

148 mm

U2 = 105 mm

Schweizer Broschüre Rückenstärke 8,5 mm –>

BASEhabitat SUNdErpUr |A6 | Umschlag 4/4-CMYK | 100#er | rZ am 26. Juli 2019

U4 = 105 mm

U1 = 105 mm

ISBN 978-3-901112-87-4

Schweizer Broschüre Rückenstärke 8,5 mm –>

basehabitat sunderpur housing Housing project for Sunderpur village India basehabitat sunderpur housing India

148 mm

BASEhabitat is a project studio within the Department of Architecture at the University of Art and Design Linz. Professor Roland Gnaiger founded BASEhabitat together with students in 2004.

BASEhabitat SUNdErpUr |A6 | Umschlag 4/4-CMYK | 100#er | rZ am 26. Juli 2019