Vikas Community Center by Annie

Architect- Earth Institute (formerly the Auroville Building Centre / Earth Unit)
Location- Auroville, Tamil Nadu
Carpet area- 1448 m²
Period of construction- 1992-1998
Awards- finalist for world habitat award 2000
Step wise construction-
1. Community kitchen
2. First apartment residential block
3. Second residential block
4. Third residential block
Main feature- wholly built from soil and ferrocement
The third block with 13 apartments was built on four floors: a basement floor with three floors
above it. The concept of this building was such that it should be self-sufficient for its soil needs. The
soil was dug from the basement floor (1.20m below the original ground level) to produce
compressed stabilised earth blocks for building the structure of 819m 2, carpet area, on 4 floors.
Appropriate architecture design
 Sun protection with sunshades and a proper orientation of the building

 Natural cross ventilation with a proper orientation of the building, and solar chimney to
create a natural draft
 Integration to the land according to the existing vegetation
Environmentally sound materials
 Stabilised rammed earth foundations with 5% cement

 Plinths and walls with CSEB – Some walls with stabilised rammed earth
 Composite beams and lintels (U shape CSEB and reinforced concrete)
 Composite columns (round CSEB and reinforced concrete)
 Vaults and domes for floors and roof with CSEB
 Paints and plasters with stabilised earth
 Floorings with CSEB tiles, 2.5cm thick
 Ferrocement pieces in various parts of the building (doors, shelves) and for the plaster of the
water tanks and the ponds.
Renewable energy sources
 Photovoltaic panels for the lighting (12 V. DC)

 Two surface solar pumps for the gardens
 One submersible solar pump at 35 m depth (Installed in the well with windmill pump)
 Windmill, with a pump at 32 m depth (Installed in the well with solar pump)
Water management
 Rainwater harvesting with a particular landscaping, which aimed at a zero run off during the
monsoon
 Water harvesting from the overflow of the wind pump and the solar pump into a reservoir
for water supply of gardens
 Biological wastewater treatment (lagoon system)
Earth Management
 Soil for building was extracted from the site itself

 Percolation systems to harvest rainwater
 Wastewater treatment pond
 Reservoirs for garden water
 MAIN SPECIFICATIONS OF THE THIRD BUILDING
WORK TECHNIQUE
FOUNDATIONS • Stabilised rammed earth
BASEMENT • AURAM plain blocks 240
• RCC plinth beam cast in a block shuttering with AURAM blocks 240 – ½
PLINTH BEAM
size
• Walls: with bitumen paint on a stabilised earth plaster
BASEMENT
• Floor: with a layer of pebbles
WATERPROOFING
• Underground drainage, (ø3” slotted PVC pipe) sent to an underground

percolation pit
BASEMENT DRAIN
• Surface drainage with a percolation pit
GALLERIES’ FLOORING • AURAM tiles 240

APARTMENTS FLOORING • The choice was left to people: CSEB, terracotta or ceramic tiles
WALLS • AURAM plain blocks 240
RING BEAMS • Composite ring beam with AURAM U blocks 240 and RCC
SPRINGER BEAMS • RCC beams for resting vaults and domes
LINTELS • Composite lintel, single height, with AURAM U blocks 240 and RCC
COLUMNS • Composite pillar with AURAM round hollow blocks 240 and RCC
• Flat vaults and domes with AURAM blocks 240, laid without support
FLOORS AND ROOFS • Precast ferrocement channels
PLASTERS • Stabilised earth plasters for some walls

Appropriate architecture design
• Energy intelligent building

• Natural ventilation and sun protection
• Integration to the land, according to the existing nature, trees, etc.
• Adaptation to the climate, according to main winds directions, sun, etc.
Section of the third building block.
Legaum prototype with Second Legaum prototype

Legaum prototype modified
wooden shingles and with wattle & daub, and
with coconut leaves
interlocking CSEB wooden floor
Legaum with foundations –

Legaum with foundations – Legaum with foundations –
Cloister dome type with
Egyptian dome type Cloister dome type
basement
VARIOUS ACTIVITIES
Team for the first
Community participation with Block making
development
soil sieving
Children playground Practicing “Kalaripayat”, the

Practicing archery
martial from Kerala

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Vikas Community Center by Annie

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Architect- Earth Institute (formerly the Auroville Building Centre / Earth Unit)

Location- Auroville, Tamil Nadu

Carpet area- 1448 m²

Period of construction- 1992-1998

Awards- finalist for world habitat award 2000

Step wise construction-

Main feature- wholly built from soil and ferrocement

Appropriate architecture design

 Sun protection with sunshades and a proper orientation of the building

Environmentally sound materials

 Stabilised rammed earth foundations with 5% cement

Renewable energy sources

 Photovoltaic panels for the lighting (12 V. DC)

 Soil for building was extracted from the site itself

• Underground drainage, (ø3” slotted PVC pipe) sent to an underground

GALLERIES’ FLOORING • AURAM tiles 240

PLASTERS • Stabilised earth plasters for some walls

• Energy intelligent building

Legaum prototype with Second Legaum prototype

Legaum with foundations –

Children playground Practicing “Kalaripayat”, the

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