Hello Bill, very nice article on the wonderful work of Sankar Haldar and his team and their friends!
Please allow me to add that these 3 prototypes of cyclone-resistant and flood-resistant houses have been designed as 1:1 scale catalog of vernacular techniques from the Sundarbans and from various parts of India, from Bhuj to Kerala to Uttar Pradesh, all put together by a team of at least 4 architects and 2 draftsmen and several students, coordinated by Kolkata-based designer, Sangita Kapoor.
Taken together, these 3 houses showcase 3 types of wall, 3 types of vertical structure, 3 types of foundations, 3 types of doors and windows, 3 types of horizontal structure (floor), 3 types of flooring, 3 types of staircases, 3 types of roofing structure, and 4 types of roofing materials, some of them very ancient, some others invented less than 20 years ago, all selected for their affordability, strength, comfort and use of local materials and skills. Such a diversity would certainly not have been achievable by one single person, and the harmonious and consistent combination of all these techniques owes a lot to the skill and experience of Sangita Kapoor.
Hello Bill, very nice article on the wonderful work of Sankar Haldar and his team and their friends!
Please allow me to add that these 3 prototypes of cyclone-resistant and flood-resistant houses have been designed as 1:1 scale catalog of vernacular techniques from the Sundarbans and from various parts of India, from Bhuj to Kerala to Uttar Pradesh, all put together by a team of at least 4 architects and 2 draftsmen and several students, coordinated by Kolkata-based designer, Sangita Kapoor.
Taken together, these 3 houses showcase 3 types of wall, 3 types of vertical structure, 3 types of foundations, 3 types of doors and windows, 3 types of horizontal structure (floor), 3 types of flooring, 3 types of staircases, 3 types of roofing structure, and 4 types of roofing materials, some of them very ancient, some others invented less than 20 years ago, all selected for their affordability, strength, comfort and use of local materials and skills. Such a diversity would certainly not have been achievable by one single person, and the harmonious and consistent combination of all these techniques owes a lot to the skill and experience of Sangita Kapoor.
- Laurent Fournier