Today's Paper FEATURES HABITAT

Published: October 6, 2012 00:00 IST | Updated: October 6, 2012 04:55 IST
Natures best friend
Technology has enabled resource preservation, and wooden flooring is a fine example, says architect SATHYA PRAASH
!ARA"ASH#
Sustainable architecture is bein dri!en toda" b" #an" strea#s $here local $isdo# co#ple#ents lobal ideas%
$here technolo" contributes to tradition% and $here #odern touch ele!ates past practices& 's such, #odern
technolo" b" de(inition is not disastrous or an undebated ene#" o( nature& I( so, $h" do $e hear technolo" as an
anti)thesis to sustainabilit"* Is it $ron to cruci(" #odernit" and should $e uphold technolo" as a solution to the
proble#s $e are (acin toda"* Occasional co##ents about this +reen Sense colu#n ha!e been suestin that the
sub,ects discussed ha!e a !isible leanin to$ards the latter&
-hile this reaction could be partl" true, and cli#ate responsi!e architecture rooted in the local bein #ore ener"
e((icient b" de(ault, there are innu#erable cases $here technolo" has enabled #ore e((icient use o( #aterials,
ener" and resources& Technolo" bashin happens $ith #an" corporate de#ands, li(est"le needs, co#(ort #atters
and consu#erist attitudes&
'ir conditionin, auto#obiles, air tra!el, obsoleteness caused b" proress, increasin #anu(acturin, lobal cross)
border transportation and #an" such cause resource consu#ption and $aste production& .o$e!er, on the positi!e
side, technolo" has also enabled resource preser!ation, $herein $ooden (loorin is a#on the #ore appropriate
e/a#ples&
A list of posities!
-ooden (loorin is not ne$ to India& 0e it in 1ulu 2alle" or 1erala, ti#ber has been a#on the co##on
construction #aterials& Its beauti(ul rains, slo$ $ear and tear, co#(ort (eel (or the (eet and en!iable durabilit" is
3no$n to all& 4espite a (e$ routine proble#s, $ooden (loors ha!e continued to be popular& The" do not absorb heat,
chillin cold, e/cessi!e $ater or stainin dirt& ' sinle s$eep o( dr" or slihtl" #oist cloth cleans the sur(ace& 5ost
$ooden sur(aces are anti)s3id, hence sa(e (or children and the aed& Incidentall", people $ho ha!e li!ed on $ooden
(loors (or lon, (ind it di((icult to ad,ust to other options&
Traditionall", all structures in #an" reions o( India had solid $ood plan3s as (loor boards, $hich toda" co#e at
hu#onous cost& The #odes o( cuttin trees and the plan3s $ere based on si#ple blades, leadin to #uch #aterial
$astae& The sur(aces $ere le(t ra$ a(ter the cuttin, $hich o(ten (ailed in ood per(or#ance&
A diffi"ult #ob
Plan3 thic3ness $as !ar"in, #a3in e!en la"in a di((icult ,ob& 5ostl", the ,unctions could not be (ull" sealed and
the plan3s $ere not held tiht, hence the (loor $as not al$a"s (inished accuratel"&
Than3s to #odern technolo", $ooden (loorin has e!ol!ed as a better choice a#on the options $ith natural
#aterials&
On a co#parati!e note, $hile #arble and such options deplete the earth6s resources, ti#ber is a rene$able resource,
i( onl" $e care to lea!e the #a,orit" o( the (orests alone and ha!e plantation ti#ber ro$n instead& -hile the #odern
$ood $or3in and transportation consu#es ener", the e#bodied ener" o( $ooden (loors is still lo$er than an" o(
the co#pletel" #anu(actured #aterials& The" are easil" re#o!able and rec"clable, hence #a3e a ood case (or
eco)(riendl" architecture&
The Hindu : FEATURES / HABITAT : Natures best friend http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-propertyplus/nature...
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$The writer is an architect wor%ing for eco&friendly designs and can be contacted at varanashi'gmail(com)
5ore In: .'0IT'T | 78'TU98S
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