EMERGING TREND IN HOUSING

BIO-HOMES – CHOCKALINGAM MUTHAIAH’S HOUSE

 A house that is completely off the grid for energy, a family that uses rain water for its
everyday needs, and a lifestyle that presents a perfect blend of sustainability and traditional
wisdom is what Chockalingam Muthiah’s home welcomes you with. A businessman by
profession, Muthiah believes in consuming only what can either be generated or preserved.
 The 3,500 sq. feet house that was constructed eight years ago has been completely
running on solar since then. The site area is huge and covers 7,200 sq. feet. “We took a
large area because we wanted a central open courtyard,” Muthiah says.
 All the electronic devices including the washing machine, refrigerator, television and water
pump runs on solar power. The solar installation cost the family Rs. 4 lakhs eight years ago
because prices were really expensive as compared to now. Today, the same panel would
cost half the price.
 The family of four stores all the rain water their house collects. They have 10,000 litres of
storage capacity, out of which 4,000 litres is collected at the first floor roof and balcony; the
rest is stored at an elevation on the ground floor roof. The water in excess of the storage
capacity of the tanks finds its way into an open well in the house that meets the family’s
water needs for up to 10 months in an year.
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 The Muthiah family consumes approximately 20,000-25,000 litres of water per month (at an
approximate per capita of 200 ml per person per day). The vast expanse of green in the
house – a whopping 1,000 sq feet – is watered with reused water coming out from the
kitchen sink and washing machine via a sanded filter. “We try to use recycled and rain
water as much as possible: I am trying to get rid of our BWSSB connection too,” Muthiah
says.
 Being a very energy conscious family, the Matthias are now trying to fuel their cooking
through a biogas generator that has been operational for a couple of months now. All waste
is segregated; the dry waste is disposed off to BBMP while the wet waste is used to
prepare biogas and compost for the garden.
 Hailing from Chettinad that is famous for its intricate architecture and design, the Muthiah
house has a distinct ethnic flavour. Sustainability grounds up has meant mud blocks that
have been mud plastered and keep the house cool during the summer months. The use of
cement has been minimized. The house is designed in a way that it allows for good
ventilation. Large dorms and low windows not only keep the air flow regular but also provide
abundant natural light. “We also have a chimney in the staircase which leads the hot air
out,” Muthiah says, talking about what might be the most unusual feature of a Bangalore
house.
 EMERGING TREND IN HOUSING

Sustainable Features:
 Mud blocks have been used while use of cement has been minimized
 The house is designed in a way that allows for good ventilation and entry of abundant
natural light.
 All electronic devices run on solar power.
 All waste is segregated; the dry waste is disposed off to BBMP while the wet waste is used
to prepare biogas (in the biogas plant) and compost for the garden.
 Rainwater harvesting recharges an open well that meets the family’s water needs for up to
10 months in a year.
 Grey water from washing machine and kitchen is filtered through a sand bed before being
used in the garden.
 EMERGING TREND IN HOUSING

INNOVATIVE HOUSE - IIT MADRAS INNOVATES ECO-FRIENDLY LOW-

COST HOUSES

The need for low-cost houses in India is gigantic in proportion. Exact estimates are still to be worked
out but government sources say that two crore dwelling units are required in the country, 90% of
which are low-cost houses. Hence, the central government has launched a mission called ‘Housing
for All by 2022’ and has also provided incentives to builders in Union Budget 2016-17. As per the
provisions, 100% deduction for profits to affordable housing schemes, under which homes will be
built up to 30sq m in the four metropolitan cities and 60sq m in other cities.
 EMERGING TREND IN HOUSING
 There have been numerous efforts to build low-cost houses across the country.
Most innovative among them is the method created by IIT Madras students, who have built
low-cost, eco-friendly houses by using ‘Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum’ (GFRG) panels.
They have successfully built a housing unit, which was constructed within a month using pre-
fabricated GFRG panels made from waste gypsum.

 The fertilizer industry produces around 2,000 tonnes of gypsum every day in the form of
waste, which is dumped over a large area. This waste is re-processed by calcining it into
gypsum plaster, which forms the raw material for gypsum panels, which are manufactured in
Mumbai by Rapid wall Building Systems, Australia.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS:

 Firstly, the gypsum plaster is spread on a special table, on which glass fibers are
poured.
 Secondly, another layer of gypsum plaster is poured by using specific equipment to
leave a gap between the two layers and then it is left for hardening for 30 minutes.
 In the third stage, these boards are removed and dried faster in a special chamber.

These panels are cut into required sizes using a computerized machine at at the factory and
brought to the construction site to used for all parts of the building, right from walls to staircases to
roofs. Trenches are first dug at the construction site and the bottom surface is plastered with
cement.
 EMERGING TREND IN HOUSING

 The foundation is made of conventional fly ash bricks and plinth beams are cast on it. The
entire gap is filled with soil and then plastered with cement. This process takes 11 days to
complete.

SPECIAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN:

 Then walls, staircases and finally the roof are built using gypsum panels. The hollow gaps
between two panels of the roof are filled using the concrete mixture and they are also
reinforced. Special structural design is prepared for the building to withstand lateral loads
such as earthquakes and storms.

 A multi-storey house can also be built by using gypsum panels as walls in the similar
manner done at the ground floor. The joints are filled with concrete.