Our House Construction Techniques

MODULAR HOMES

A modular building is a prefabricated building that consists of repeated sections called modules. Modularity involves constructing sections away from the building site, then delivering them to the intended site. Installation of the prefabricated sections is completed on-site.

Structural Steel

Structural steel is a popular construction material used alongside concrete to create impressive and long-lasting buildings. Its versatility, sustainability, and flexibility are the main reasons for its use and cost-effectiveness.

River sand or Natural sand as a Construction Materials

Granular material composed of finely divided rocks, and mineral particles

ADOBE TECHNIQUE

The affordability & timelessness of EARTH is the oldest and has been the most essential building material over centuries.
The tradition of making sun-dried raw earth bricks popularly known as adobes goes back to the beginning of human society.
Adobe is versatile, viable, and provides great flexibility in the construction of earth buildings.
These bricks are fireproof, nontoxic, and have an excellent thermal performance.
Adobe buildings can be found across continents where it has been spontaneously and continuously adapted by people of diverse cultures for housing as well as monumental structures.

Compressed earth bricks (CEB - CSEB)

The engineered modern age EARTH Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks - The soil, raw or stabilized, is slightly moistened, poured into a steel press, and then compressed either with a manual or motorized press.
The first attempts at Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB) were tried in France, in the early years of the 19th century:
The architect Francois Cointreau, around 1803, precast small blocks of rammed earth.
He used hand rammers to compress humid soil into small wooden moulds which were held with the feet.

RAMMED EARTH TECHNIQUE

The strength and solidity of EARTH The worldwide tradition of rammed earth construction has shown that it is possible to achieve strong majestic buildings that have withstood the test of time.
The grandeur of rammed earth has been expressed historically in houses, forts, and palaces; even the great wall of China is built on earth! Rammed earth is a load-bearing technique where the earth is compacted in successive layers within a formwork.

Wattle and Daub TECHNIQUE

Flexibility and earthquake resistance of EARTH This traditional walling system with a history of 6000 years beautifully illustrates the flexibility, ease of production, and adaptability of earth architecture.
Wattle and Daub is a composite wall-building technique using tightly woven wooden sticks or split Bamboo known as the wattle, coated with a clay-rich mix of chopped straw and soil, hair, or animal dung, known as the daub. Many historic buildings include wattle and daub construction, and the technique is becoming popular again!

Tadelakt TECHNIQUE

The mystery and allure of LIME There is no comparison to the sheer skill and patience required to create the luxurious feel of the Tadelakt.
This sacred traditional practice that originates from Morocco, is passed on through word of mouth, from artisan to artisan.
Tadelakt is created using limestone from the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It has today, fascinated the imagination of modern artisans who are inspired by the fantastic walls of the Marrakesh Palaces that have remained unchanged for centuries! The word ‘Tadelakt’ means ’to caress’ in Arabic.

Oxide & Lime Flooring

A sheen that accentuates with time Modest in its appeal, ecologically conscious and affordable, this option of flooring is common in various parts of India.
Although it has been around for ages, there has been a recent upsurge, with slight modifications in its making. Metal oxides are used to get a wide palette of colour options.
Being mineral based, they are non-flammable, inorganic, and do not emit hazardous compounds.
This labour-intensive technique demands experienced attention in its application. It is durable, ages beautifully, and is easy to maintain!

Natural Plaster TECHNIQUE

The breathability and aesthetics of EARTH One important aspect of ecological construction is to guarantee a good ‘breathability’ of the building.
The plasters being the first layer in contact with the outside and inside air, plays a vital role in the regulation of humidity, Odors, and temperature.
Eliminating the need for a chemical paint over it, these renders can be sponge-finished, smooth or trowel-finished, rough, or brush-finished, hand finished, fibrous, plain, grainy, and together with natural color pigments; the options are infinite!

Filler slab TECHNIQUE

Reduction in the use of slab concrete A Filler slab is a Reinforced Cement Concrete slab that uses filler material embedded in it so that the weight of the slab and the amount of concrete used comes down.
Pots, Terracotta tiles, Coconut shells, and bottles are some of the materials used in the filler slab system.
The technique works on the concept of removing unnecessary concrete in the tension zone and filling it with lightweight and inexpensive materials.
Revolutionized by Laurie Baker in India, these slabs increase thermal comfort and add an interesting aesthetic to a space.

Hourdi block slab TECHNIQUE

A funny name for a Terracotta slab Coming into use in the early 20th century, structural terracotta originated in the Mediterranean and became increasingly popular in parts of India.
Hourdi blocks are made from natural clay that is baked in a kiln to create a hard, hollow component of the roof.
The method of laying consists of placing the hollow blocks between prefabricated beams to form the slabs.
The Hourdi Block is lighter in weight, speeds up the construction process, and eliminates the need for shuttering as compared to the conventional Reinforced Cement Concrete system.
It provides greater insulation at a lesser cost.

Natural Paints

Natural paints, made with raw ingredients such as clay, marble, earth, and mineral pigments can significantly improve the air quality in your building, positively impacting your health.
Additives such as starch, casein, and linseed oil used along with plant and mineral pigments result in less energy-intensive finishes.
These natural ingredients improve the breathability of the wall, control moisture and eliminate potentially harmful chemicals present in conventional paints.

Earth Floors

The seamlessness of EARTH Earthen floors was predominant mostly in Europe until the mid-14th century, usually of hard-packed dirt topped off with a thin layer of straw for warmth and comfort.
In modern times, most earthen floors are laid over tamped gravel, and then a mixture of clay, sand and sometimes fibres are spread with a trowel.
The finished layer, once dry, is sealed with hardening oil or wax, giving it durability and lustre. Earthen floors offer great insulation, come in a variety of colours, have a low environmental impact and are affordable.

Earth and Straw Technique

The climatic adaptability and comfort of EARTH Heiress of the wattle and daub, the straw & clay technique is spreading quickly, especially in Europe, due to its remarkable thermal property and the comfort that it can bring to our interiors.
Its main ingredient: straw, is available virtually everywhere (wheat, rice, hemp straw, etc) and when sourced locally, makes this wall-filling material one of the most ecological.

Arches Vaults Domes

The monumentality and geometric wonder of EARTH Popular in all historic buildings of the ancient world are arches, vaults, and domes - and we have the Romans to thank for it!
The forms they used to span basilicas, baths, and aqueducts centuries ago, have been abandoned and replaced with steel and cement intensive.
Today, these forms are proving to be an eco-friendly alternative to conventional Reinforced Cement Concrete, which can span large spaces while giving monumental character.
This labour-intensive is a display of masonry craftsmanship at its best!

Cement – Construction Materials

Cement is a binder, a substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together.
Cement is seldom used to bind sand and gravel together. 
Cement companies produced mixed with fine aggregate to make mortar for masonry, or with sand and gravel for concrete.

Reinforcement Steel

Steel reinforcement bars or rebars are used to improve the tensile strength of the concrete since concrete is fragile in tension but are strong in compression.
Steel is only used as rebar because of the elongation of steel due to feverish temperatures (thermal expansion coefficient) equal to that of concrete.
Carbon steel is the most generic form of steel rebar. Rebar is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression.

Concrete

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the entire world. These materials include cement, water, fine aggregate, and crushed stones or gravel. Sand and gravel or crushed stones are fine aggregates and coarse aggregates, respectively.

Ready-mix concrete

Ready-mix concrete refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for customers' construction projects and supplied to the customer on-site as a solitary product. It is a mixture of Portland Cement or other types of cement, water, and aggregates: sand, gravel, or crushed stone.

Porotherm Bricks

Porotherm Bricks are 60% lighter than conventional walling material which allows substantial savings on structural cost due. This also allows for faster construction and ease of handling. Excellent thermal insulation which is 45% better when compared to other conventional construction materials.

Timber (Wood) as a Construction Materials

Timber is used indoors, in the windows, cabinets, cupboards, shelves, tables, railings, etc.
Timber is also popularly used in the form of plywood & raw wood.
Products like ply blocks and ply boards, heavy patterned doors, and windows are made of solid wood/timber to provide strength, toughness, and durability.

Clay

Soft, earthy material containing particles with a grain size of less than four micrometers.

Glass

Inorganic, solid, and non-crystalline material, transparent in appearance.

Plastic

Synthetic materials are made from various organic polymers like polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, nylon, etc.

Ceramic

Inorganic, non-metallic solid made of metal or non-metal compounds; shaped and hardened by heating at elevated temperatures

Masonry

Masonry is building structures from individual units, often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves.
The basic materials of masonry construction include brick, building stones such as marble, granite, limestone, cast stone, concrete block, glass block, and adobe. It is one of the types of construction materials.