Sans Studio

Sans Studio

Brick by brick, lets build a dream

About our collective Sans – Without (French) Sans – Breath (Hindi) Sans stands for introspection. It stands for shedding of all that one can do without, live without, build without, be without. A pursuit of realizing truth and simplicity in our being. We wish to explore solutions to minimize our carbon footprint on the planet. Our collective works towards this vision through different mediums. Be it architectural services, energy consultation, organic food products, local handicraft, the list goes on. The value that ties us together is our singular motivation to assist in the creation of a happier, healthier, and more balanced ethos.

The name ‘Sans Studio’ is also a tribute of our life force, Breath! During the process of creation, the artist’s strokes are guided by their breath. Meditation practices are guided by breath. Our state of mind is guided by breath. It is the quintessential element of existence. Something that we take for granted, and yet can’t live without. We hopes to bring these taken-for-granted qualities to the fore front by celebrating the mundane, the obvious, the basic. Like the earth below our feet and the sun above our head.

A large part of our work focuses on promotion of local craftsmanship, skill development and capacity building.

Sans studio was founded in September 2018. It is a result of years of collaborations, discussions, mistakes, encounters, travels, hopes and dreams. It is hard to say when, where and who was instrumental in giving it shape. With every passing day, as the conversations continue, more and more people find resonance with its essence.

Index

Kari Village - Artist residence Chandroti village, Uttrakhand Nature Science Initiative (NSI) Dalanwala, Dehradun, Uttrakhand Osho meditation retreat Langha valley, Uttrakhand Eco community centre Kaza, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh Earth and solar workshop SECMOL, Phey, Ladakh Cob workshop Kari village, Chandroti, Uttrakhand

Natural building techniques

Kari Village- Artist residence Chandroti, Uttrakhand

Located in the outskirts of Dehradun, village Chandroti is experiencing rapid haphazard development, as it gets engulfed within the expanding city limits.

Amidst the pristine Sal forest, one can observe fragmented concrete structures rising above the tree line. As a response to the inevitable development in the green belt surrounding the state capital, Kari village hopes to create a living example of grounded simplicity.

The residence is a composite structure consisting of cob, stone, bamboo, slate and bricks. Some wet areas like toilets and verandahs are made of RCC. 80% of the wood used in the structure is re-purposed from old buildings. Old bottles have been encased in the cob walls to create interesting light patterns.

Apart from the construction materials, the site has greywater recycling system, rain water harvesting system, solar panels for electricity and kitchen garden.

The idea is to create a self sustainaing eco-system while promoting local craftsmanship.

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Drive way Living room Kitchen Verandah Washroom Bedroom Studio Outdoor washing area

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Verandah Washroom Bedroom Studio

Nature Science Initiative (NSI) Dalanwala, Dehradun, Uttrakhand

Dalanwala is one of the oldest planned residential developments of Dehradun.

Located in the heart of the city, Dalanwala used to be known for its litchi orchards and generous plot sizes. In the recent past, with new amendments in the plot size regulations, the locality is witnessing high stress on its infrastructure due to the rise in population density. As the land prices sky-rocket, number of old houses are being torn down to make way for new construction.

In an effort to preserve the heritage of Dalanwala, NSI adopted an old dilapidated structure to make their headquater.

Like most old buildings with flat roofs, this building had major seepage issues.

Our solution was to create a metal roof structure, designed to incorporate solar panels, harvest rain water, and create accommodation facility for volunteers.

The primary construction technique used was wattle and daub i.e. Bamboo weave with earth infill. All the windows and doors used in this building were re-purposed from the house itself.

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Bedroom Mezzanine above Covered terrace Washroom Existing stairwell

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Bedroom Mezzanine Terrace Sloping roof to house solar panels Rain water channelized into a harvesting tank

Osho meditation retreat Langha valley, Uttrakhand

Osho meditation retreat is a collaborative effort by a group of Osho sanyasis; artist and photographers aimed at creation of a meditation and artist retreat.

Langha valley is located at a distance of 2 hours from Dehradun. In an effort to utilize the locally available resource (Earth) and minimize transportation cost, Compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) was used as the primary construction technique.

Roof construction The roof of the cottages was built with CSEB blocks in the form of a dome. The primary motivation behind this was to minimize the use of steel and concrete.

Apart from this, dome roofs have a great aesthetic and acoutic effect which the client was particularly drawn towards.

The masons were trained on site by team in-sans.

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Bedroom Wardrobe Washroom Covered passage

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Eco community centre

Kaza, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh Siturated in the small town of Kaza along Spiti river, at an average altitude of 3,600m (High altitude desert climate) the Eco-community Centre aims to offer amenities to strengthen local cultural heritage, while providing access to essential facilities for health care and community-oriented services.

The primary construction technique adapted for this building was the vernacular rammed earth, locally known as kyang. The building was made thermally efficient and earthquake resistant using a combination of traditional methods and modern innovations.

The Principal architect for this project was Aurovile Earth Institute’s founder, Satprem Maine. Swati from In-sans was the project head.

Daily visitors to the building site, including local villagers, politicians, monks and foreign visitors, were given tours of the building in an attempt to spread awareness. Through these conversations, the building successfully stirred up the otherwise suppressed debate about the suitability of cement in the region. The community centre has set a benchmark, showcasing the intelligence and appropriateness of vernacular knowledge in Spiti.

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Double door - Air lock Medical consultancy room Eye clinic Dental clinic Craft centre Library

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Kitchen Dinning hall Outdoor washing area Outdoor dinning area Washroom Store

Passive thermal elements •Trombe wall system •50cm thick low density earth masonry •Ceiling insulation (thermocol and wood shaving) •Upto 25cm thick earthen layer on roof.

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Natural building workshop

Natural building workshop In todays urban landscape, one can notice a stark disparity resulting from choices guided by economic standards.

Modern construction materials are quickly guiding the aesthetic aspirations of the common man, even though it has little to do with functionality and comfort.

In contrast to today’s fashionable, unsustainable construction trends, earth has been successfully used around the world for over 11,000 years by rich and poor alike. Using this renewable material is one way of promoting fairer distribution of resources and exhibit our respect for the ecosystem.

One of the most common concerns about earth buildings is regarding its longevity. Back in the days, it was common for women of the household to regularly maintain the buildings and patch up the plaster work after every monsoon.

Todays fast paced lifestyle does not allow people to invest that kind of time into maintenance.

Hence, it is important to hybridize the traditional techniques with modern innovations and find a balance better suited for the current context. Traditional empirical systems of construction now require a more scientific approach. To this end, we aim to spread awareness about natural construction techniques through workshops and training programmes.

Earth and solar workshop SECMOL, Phey, Ladakh

A 15-day Earth and Solar workshop was organized in association with Student's Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) The students were trained to conduct soil tested and work with the following construction techniques: Adobe, Cob, Straw clay, Earth bag, Rammed earth, Earth plaster.

Cob workshop

Kari village, Chandroti, Uttrakhand The cob workshop organized in one of the live sites of In-sans was the first of its kind in Dehradun.

Students participated in the construction of a residential project where they learned soil testing, principals of earth construction in seismic zone, and built a cob wall for the residence.

Sans Studio Addresss 140, Lane no. 18 Banjarawala, Dehradun

Uttrakhand 248001 Email id mail@sans-studio.in Pnone +91 8826033099