The main initiative for the project was taken by Steve Morris, he was helped by Mr.Brunt who is a Carpentry teacher from Sweden, The entire work was done by the alumni students of Government Higher Secondary School, Ooty led by Mr. Murali, James, Yoga and many others. This establishment is used as a chapel for anybody who wants to find peace and also is a sight to see for our Homestay guests and visitors alike.
What is Rammed Earth Building Method :
RAMMED-EARTH is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek to build in a more sustainable way using natural materials and building methods. These walls are simple to construct by ramming subsoil inside shuttering casements which are reusable for multiple constructions. The walls are noncombustible, they have massive thermal capacity, well insulated to sound penetration, are very strong and durable. They can be labor-intensive to construct without machinery. Rammed-earth buildings are found on every continent except Antarctica, in a range of environments that include the temperate and wet regions of northern Europe, semiarid deserts, mountain areas and the tropics. They are noted for the resistance to collapse in seismic regions.
Why this Method?
The availability of useful subsoil and a building design appropriate for local climatic conditions are the factors that favor its use. They can be constructed with minimal skilled labor and with the construction methods used here they can be visually attractive yet simulate buildings built using concrete block.The roofing construction has tired to address a number of problems. Firstly the costs and issues of residual damp when using reinforced concrete (RCC) roofing. Secondly the many problems associated with using tin covered in tiles are the noise and thermal conductivity from the tin. The added weight of the tiles requires over engineered roofing and increased costs.
We have created are relatively lightweight roof addressing these issues without the additional costs of using tiles. All natural materials have locally sourced keeping within acceptable ecological parameters. All this has resulted in the construction of a economical, co friendly and very sustainable alternative to a concrete build.
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