Holcim award

HolcimAwards 2013/14 | Submission PDF | Mar 31, 2014

Auroville Earth Institute - School for Earthen Architecture [Project title]

HA14-MFZXH [Project ID]

HOLCIM AWARDS (MAIN CATEGORY)

GENERAL PROJECT DATA Project Group 1

Architecture, building and civil engineering

Competition region

Asia Pacific

Country

India

Intervention

New construction

Status of permission

Approved

Project background

Private investment

Longitude

79.796576

Other competition

no

City

Auroville

Client

Auroville Earth Institute (AVEI)

Status of planning

Final design stage

Planned start

Aug '14

Latitude

12.011891

Elevation

51

MAIN AUTHOR AND CONTACT DETAILS

Anna Muset, Samuel Rodrigues, T. Ayyappan, Satprem Maïni, Lara Davis, Liju George, Swati Negi

FURTHER AUTHOR(S) 1. Ms. Lara Davis Architect · 1979 · female · Auroville Earth Institute, UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture · Auroshilpam · 605 101 · Auroville · India · Tel +914132623330 · lara.earth@gmail.com · http://www.earthauroville.com/ 2. Mr. T. Ayyappan Builder · 1971 · male · Auroville Earth Institute, UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture · Vikas · 605 101 · Auroville · India · Tel +914132623330 · ayyappan@earth-auroville.com · http://www.earth-auroville.com/

Name

Mr. Serge André Marie Maïni · 1959 · male

Profession

Architect

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE MONEY

Position

Director

Organization

Auroville Earth Institute, UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture

Mr. Serge Maïni: 100 %

Address

Auroshilpam

City

Auroville

Country

India

Email

lara.earth@gmail.com

Zip

605 101

State

Tamil Nadu

Telephone

+914132623330

Website

http://www.earth-auroville.com/

[page 1]

HA14-MFZXH [Project ID]

HolcimAwards 2013/14 | Submission PDF | Mar 31, 2014

Auroville Earth Institute - School for Earthen Architecture [Project title]

PROJECT SUMMARY

SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT

AVEI is building a campus to offer - as a global first - one-year educational programs in earthen construction to experts and laymen across all sectors of society. Building on 24 years experience in R&D of low-cost/ low-carbon construction techniques using earth as a building material, the school will fuse earthen techniques, natural resource management and sustainable land management practices to widely disseminate sustainable innovation, applied research and construction in India and abroad.

PROJECT DETAILS GFA

9,429 cu m

Construction costs

6,012,000 USD

Footprint area

6,167 sq m

Building depth

0.3 TO -1.4 m

GV

52,810 cu m

Site area

15,244 sq m

Building height

3 TO 17 m

FURTHER RELEVANT KEY FIGURES 2,940 m3 of soil excavated on-site = 800,000 earth blocks + 775 m3 of rainwater percolation + 1,200 m3 of earth tunnel/ water reservoir MATERIALS Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB/ 2% lime/ 5% cement), Composite earth columns/ beams, Rammed earth walls/ foundations, Poured earth, Earth Thermocrete, Stabilized earth plaster/ waterproofing.

PROGRESS: The AVEI School will demonstrate state-of-the-art earthen construction technologies. Vernacular and stabilized earth techniques will be used to promote a culture of innovation from past traditions. Tried and tested modular design tools will be implemented, which can be applied in rural or urban contexts, from simple dwellings to affordable multi-story construction (p.2). Experimental techniques will be integrating into ongoing applied research programs, monitored and improved over their lifetimes.

PEOPLE: Masons' training, emphasizing coordinated management of existing human and natural resources, will be subsidized to answer to an acute need for more educated and resource-conscious building professionals in India. The project will involve participatory planning with the 'panchayat' of the nearby villages, offering education, employment opportunities, interactive public spaces, access to safe drinking water, and improved sanitation for shared use with villagers, village youth and women's groups (p.3).

PLANET: Earthen building can generate self-sufficient local value chains, utilizing soil extracted on site to minimize material transportation, mitigate deforestation, and consume 10x less embodied energy and 12x less carbon emissions than conventional country fired brick. The AVEI school strategically marries earthen construction, natural resource and land management practices by transforming soil excavations into ecological landscape features (p.7-8). Bio-climatic strategies minimize solar gain and optimize natural ventilation and lighting for low operating energy.

PROSPERITY: Co-education across socio-economic levels is intended to stimulate knowledge exchange, professional collaboration, and entrepreneurship opportunities for a network of new leaders and decision makers in sustainable practice: incl. architects, engineers, building technicians, masons and laborers (p.6). Funding for the construction has come from an independent donor and past student of AVEI. Operational sustainability and the goal for financing masons' education has been verified through financial feasibility studies.

PROFICIENCY: The campus is envisioned to impact the acceptance of earthen building, locally and at large, by pushing the material to the limits. With sensitive design for the cultural context, climate, local ecology and site, these technical engineering constraints will be translated to poetic form and space for the life, use and education of people.

[page 2]

HA14-MFZXH [Project ID]

HolcimAwards 2013/14 | Submission PDF | Mar 31, 2014

Auroville Earth Institute - School for Earthen Architecture [Project title] PROJECT VISUALIZATION

Overall: The structure of the AVEI school will emphasize coeducational principles across all socio-economic levels, with a balance of theoretical and hands-on learning. The following educational programs will be offered: Awareness courses; 1-Week Intensive courses; Internships for architects & researchers; 1Year Diploma program for Engineers & Architects (post-graduate level), Masonry technicians (postsecondary level), and Masons (vocational level); PhD & Post-doc researchers

AVEI Earth Construction Technologies: 1-6. Stabilized earth: Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB), Poured earth, Rammed earth walls/ foundations, Composite earth columns/ beams/ ring-beams, Interlocking blocks for disaster resistance, Free-spanning vaulting technologies, Thermal insulation plasters, Earthen waterproofing, Stabilized earth roads; 2-3. Auram Equipment: Manual/ hydraulic presses, moulds, mixers/ crushers, testing/ quality control 4. Vernacular techn.: Adobe, Cob, Wattle & daub

[page 3]

HA14-MFZXH [Project ID]

HolcimAwards 2013/14 | Submission PDF | Mar 31, 2014

Context Site plan: Showing shared spaces of life and culture for the school and neighboring village

Training Course for Local Women

AVEI Campus plan & Building features: 24m span vault, Hypar, Multi-story construction

View of Campus: Open space, underground parking, boarding, administration, and exhibition hall

Sustainable Land management & infrastructure: Local Resource, Water percolation, Wastewater

Climatic strategies: Earth cooling tunnel at Conference Hall

Elevation & Section of Masonry Hall: Practical hands-on training hall & research facilities

Interior View of Masonry Hall: Training for the construction of earthen arches, vaults and domes

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