Urban Mud House
Location
Hyderabad
Year
2019
Area
2,500 sq.ft
Discipline
Architecture
“An eco-friendly residential private residence demonstrating uplifting spaces, thriving communities, and viable economics through low energy local materials.”
Uplifting spaces
A typical urban milieu for a house in Hyderabad is far away from being an ideal one.
Spatial apathy, lack of character, devoid of environmental sensibilities and socially exclusionary construction practices are some of the issues that it is plagued in.
The Urban Mud House is an attempt to demonstrate a house which alleviates itself from these issues and goes further in establishing a unique identity.
It tries to set an example for a construction typology which responds positively to the ever-increasing urban pressures of time, money and efficient usage of space in a developing country like India; without compromising on the ethos of being environmentally, economically & socially sensitive.
Thriving communities
India’s population as on today stands close to around 1.41 billion.
Conventionally, this figure is considered as a threat to a nation’s growth.
However, we believe rather than looking at population as an issue, as architects we should look at it as an immensely useful resource which if channeled wisely into the construction industry, could be a win-win for both the parties.
The Urban Mud house thus prescribes construction practices which not only are ecologically sensitive but also socially inclusive and uplifting.
It promotes building technologies that are more labor-intensive than being material-heavy.
One of the example being the typical RCC slab is replaced by a jack arch slab using bricks.
The latter uses low energy materials like bricks but engages more workmen for a comparatively longer duration of time.
Because of labor being locally available for a very cost-effective price, it is eventually cheaper than a RCC slab because of the savings on the rather expensive materials like steel and cement.
At the same time, it up skills the “unskilled” mason on learning a new technique that would potentially open up more job opportunities for him; even going further to become “specialists” in such kind of technologies which are not conventionally used.
Viable Economics
Being a geographically diverse country, each place is surrounded by a variety of different materials that are readily available to be potentially used in building construction.
However, the unfortunate standardization in the construction industry has given rise to use of a sterile palette of materials that are mass-manufactured and hence lack any connection to the place it is being used in.
This further translates into high building costs because of the market dynamics, monopolization and prescription of using “hi-tech” building practices.
As architects, we find it prudent to a stringent process of material selection in this very regard and which reflects strongly in the Urban Mud House as well.
Whether it is the stabilized mud –blocks for the walls, the fired bricks for the jack arches, the granite for the window chajjas, and the lime for the plastering of the walls – all are sourced locally.
Because the material is available in plenty, the supply is well distributed and hence the basic material cost is always kept in check.
Major cost of transport too is avoided because of the minimal distances the materials are made to travel.
Lastly, because the natural materials are available locally, when they are assembled together as different parts of the building, they collectively respond better to the weathering and thereby the building ages gracefully.
This means lesser maintenance of surfaces and eventually lesser running costs.
Healthy Planet
In a developing country like India, sustainability should be looked at from ecological, economical & social frames.
The collective response of all three overlaps would come close to being an honest solution to the complex question of sustainability in this context.
Urban Mud House is a modest attempt at doing the same.
To begin with materials are chosen with stringent parameters like embodied energy, distance of availability from site, possibility of re-use of materials, long-term maintenance and its role in providing interior thermal comfort thereby limiting the use of artificial sources of lighting and ventilation.
Similarly technologies proposed are low tech in nature.
Essentially they use natural & locally available materials assembled together using semi-skilled workmen and non-energy intensive processes.
The construction practices employed principally reject the standard materials & technologies used in an urban context thereby setting up an example of a more environmentally sound, economically viable and socially just solution.
Process & Sketches
Interested in a similar project?
Every site has a story waiting to be told. Whether you have a clear vision or just a rough sketch, we're here to shape it. Reach out to discuss your ideas, timelines, and requirements.