Alternate to Brick-concrete construction for residential house - help required

Dear All,
A new one to this forum looking for information on viable alternate to brick-concrete construction for new house which Iam planning to construct in a village in Andhra Pradesh.

Read some information in this forum and on net regarding the same like Pre-fabricated (pre-engineered structures), container houses, bamboo houses but still didnt find the answer to my questions so posting here.

  1. Is it recommended to go for pre-fabricated house in village in AP state - when looking at the climate, land condition etc? my land is bordering paddy field.

  2. Which one of the alternate option is economical ? (if we compare with the conventional construction)

  3. How about the approvals from the municipalities - does they have policies to approve other than concrete/RCC beam construction? (please keep in mind that I need to get approval from village office not city municipality who might have some open mind in these matters)

  4. More interested in making house eco-friendly - wanted to use natural light, solar power and plan to have bio-gas in future.

  5. Is the skilled people available who construct the house similar to the grand old days (like walls with mud like material flooring with cowdung/mud again) which are cooler in summer period?

Bottomline Iam more interested in alternate to conventional and want it more like village house.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO CREATED THIS SITE AND PROVIDING INFORMATION.

  1. Is it recommended to go for pre-fabricated house in village in AP state - when looking at the climate, land condition etc? my land is bordering paddy field.

Yes you can but the height of the structure must be minimum of 14 feet and you should have ventilators above 10 feet level to dicipate hot air.

  1. Which one of the alternate option is economical ? (if we compare with the conventional construction)

Construct the house with red bricks using mud mortar with 15% of cement mixed and plaster is with the same mixture + lime and roof with Mangalore tiles and dung flooring.

  1. How about the approvals from the municipalities - does they have policies to approve other than concrete/RCC beam construction? (please keep in mind that I need to get approval from village office not city municipality who might have some open mind in these matters)

They will worry for the plan only not at all interested in what materials you use. ( their interest will be in how much you are bribing them)

  1. More interested in making house eco-friendly - wanted to use natural light, solar power and plan to have bio-gas in future.

Yes possible

  1. Is the skilled people available who construct the house similar to the grand old days (like walls with mud like material flooring with cowdung/mud again) which are cooler in summer period?

I have not come across these skilled last 10 years or so. But it is possible to build with help of a civil engineer who will guide them on day to day basis. You cannot build mud walls more than 9" to 12" in a day and also you have to leave enough time for the mud to dry before you start laying next coarse.

Bottom line I am more interested in alternate to conventional and want it more like village house.

Go with mud walls and thatched roof you will get it.

Hi

Please visit the Govardhan Eco village site they have built buildings with Compressed stabilized earth blocks.

Document attached for reference.
Green Building Technology.pdf (2.82 MB)

Dear Mr Menon not able to Open the PDF after down loading it

Kindly advise

pandyak70@gmail.com

Thanks And Regards

Kalpesh P Pandya

Centre of Science for Villages, based in Wardha, Maharashtra, have developed a method with a unique wall and roofing system that is low cost and minimises purchase of external inputs as long as you can find the required clay and have access to a potter.

For detailed info see links and videos below:

csvtech.org/mudHouse/Mud_%20 … using.html
(ignore the pricing info - old)

Walls are made of pillar and beams made by regular bricks+cement and infilled by mud blocks that have a tile exterior.
youtube.com/watch?v=PTqImC7SXHc

Roofs are made with hollow tubular terracota tiles arranged in an arch.
youtube.com/watch?v=rA-oOcYYTVc

Link again for detailed method
csvtech.org/mudHouse/Mud_%20 … using.html
(ignore the pricing info - old)

Dear Kalpesh

Please check this site.

ecovillage.org.in/

Hello Friends,

There was an architect Mr. Laurie Baker a British national settled in Kerala India, he had developed many award winning innovative, organic, cost effective housing models with locally available material.

Here is a wikipedia link about the great master en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Baker

George

Thank you Dear Mr Menon