Kangra safe corners

The Himalaya is the youngest range of mountains in the world are immensely prone to earthquakes. The entire range falls in seismic zone 5 and 4 - …

How green is your building?

The building's green credentials have been recognised internationally, most notably by the us Green Business Council (usgbc). The Washington-…

Sand slips

Where there is a river, there is sand. Called a minor mineral, it fulfils a major requirement of the booming construction industry. No wonder, …

Mud housing is the key

Mud's low cost and malleability makes it an ideal building material. But its use can be popularised only if such drawbacks as its …

The 20th century saw a 23-fold increase in natural resources used for building

Massive expansion of natural resource consumption will have a considerable environmental impact

Murky science of comfort part 3: Industry defined standards make us feel uncomfortable without ACs

The Heat, Ventilation and Air Conditioning industry has made sure that we get used to heating and cooling appliances by setting arbitrary …

Mud is a cost-effective biulding material

Mud is on its way to becoming a popular and economically viable medium of constructon with the urban builder

Cool dwellings: Here is what you can do to make your building beat the heat

‘Shade, insulate and ventilate’ should be the mantra for achieving ‘thermally comfortable’ buildings

How we lost the art of manipulating microclimate

The current mass housing construction is in contrast from the traditional urban forms of the city, which had smaller shaded spaces, were more …

Delhi is earthquake prone

The 2001 Bhuj earthquake was something of a watershed in Indian disaster preparedness. Several state governments, most so in the Northeast, and …

Mandatory building energy code needed by 2030, says UN report

The building sector’s energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions rose by 7% since 2010, the report said

Earthquake disaster not limited to death toll

While many affected areas in Afghanistan are conflict-ridden, Pakistan faces administrative challenges

Embodied energy demystified

Building materials are much more energy-intensive than perceived. India lags in taking steps to reduce their use

One Track Mind

The Union government's ineptness in dealing with technology finds a new victim: Delhi's metro rail project

Quaking, 1108 aftershocks later

The Indian plate is underthrusting the Eurasian plate by 4 to 5 centimetres a year. But our scientists move even slower. Are they waiting for the …

Safe as houses

Earthquakes don't kill; badly built houses do. A look into houses in India that have withstood several earthquakes

Lighting up hearts

A hospital for cardiac patients in Ahmedabad is sunlit to cheer up patients. It saves energy, too

Meinhard Von Gerkan on GMP's entry into India

Meinhard Von Gerkan, a partner in the German architectural firm GMP, was in Delhi recently to prospect for ventures in India, particularly in …

‘Modern buildings cannot breathe’

Kolkata-based architect Laurent Fournier tells how ceilings can float and why bamboo-reed-mud make more sense than brick-concrete-steel

Death Inside The Factory Gates

Asbestos makes homes, but it also causes cancer. The "indestructible" substance is increasingly being cast aside by developed countries,…

‘My mentor Laurie Baker’

BENNY KURIAKOSE began his architecture career in 1984. He was one of the privileged few who worked under the tutelage of Laurie Baker which …

Built to last

A Rajasthan village has cylindrical houses that help people cope with extreme weather events

Fixing old houses on Himalaya

German architect Andre Alexander has been restoring old buildings in the Tibetan capital Lhasa for 15 years now. Over the past few years he has …

Making houses energy efficient

Our houses gobble up energy and spew out carbon dioxide. Shocking, but true. Buildings, primarily residential and commercial facilities, are …

Green buildings: it’s common sense

Frenzied growth in real estate and changing lifestyle in Indian cities are inciting resource guzzling. Architects have innovative ideas to build …