SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

WORKS OF CHITRA VISWANATH

PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR

ARCHITECT CHITRA VISHWANATH WORKS

ABOUT
• Chitra Viswanath Architects
• A firm based in Banglore,India focusing on
Ecology and Architecture
• Practice started in 1991
• The philosophy followed is to employ local
resources in an optimized way – To plan
considering the natural elements, passively and
actively

MATERIALS USED
• Mud is a major component since it is well suited
for local conditions. It is relatively labour intensive
and locally available
• Earth in the form of compressed stabilized blocks
and stabilized rammed earth is used for load
bearing structure, arches, vaults and domes.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED

• Waste water treatment system
• Grey water recycling system
• Rain water harvesting
• Solar and wind energy generation system
They are designed and integrated to complete
buildings as sustainable systems

WORKS
• Mostly residential and Institutional
• BIOME
Design firm focusing on ecology , architecture and
water
– Rainwater club
Has extensive expertise in providing knowledge
services in water management and rainwater
harvesting, ecological wastewater treatment and
sanitation practices

PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR

ARCHITECT CHITRA VISHWANATH RESIDENCE-SANS SOUCI

PROJECT LOCATION : Vidyaranyapura ,Bangalore

• Their multi level home functions as a laboratory for their architectural practice in
Bangalore
• The residence is built on a 1500 sq. ft plot
• The earth from the basement was taken up and converted to earth blocks and
that is used for the construction of whole house
• Native trees are planted to attract native species and to create a micro
environment
• The house does not need and also not use Air conditioning or fans
• Properly positioned skylights and open passages ensure that plenty of light and
air flood in
• Walls made of mud bricks and do not have any plaster finish – reducing the use of
chemicals and plastic finish
• Water is heated using solar panels , Toilets are eco friendly.
• A composting pit in the compound handles the organic waste and garbage from
the house

SUSTAINABILITY
• The building harvests 90000 L of rainwater(Including 20000 L from
neighbourhood)
• Reuses washing machine water
• Uses solar energy for Cooking, Lighting and water heating
• Reuses greywater for bathroom flushes and in terrace vegetable garden

Entrance gate made out of Bamboo Recharge well to manage stormwater

and increase ground water . It is about
22ft in diameter.
It does a god job in putting 1 million
litre of water in the aquifer
PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR
ARCHITECT CHITRA VISHWANATH RESIDENCE-SANS SOUCI

Solar lighting systems– Using CFL bulbs

Kitchen composter – All the kitchen Basement natural lighting is acquired
Waste comes into this three part through ground level windows.
system and gets nicely composted
Natural
lighting
system in
the kitchen

Large
windows for
fresh air
circulation
Kitchen wastewater treatment unit
Picks up waste work in the kitchen
pushes it through a Island grease
trap sand filter
Rain water harvesting unit
The blue drum filters water and puts it into the
tank. About 100000 L of rainwater is restored
through this process

Rain water tank

Water from the terrace
is collected there and is
used for gardening
purposes

PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR

ARCHITECT CHITRA VISHWANATH RESIDENCE-SANS SOUCI

ARCHES
• The arches save 2
Purposes
Arches let the weight
of the roof to come to
the wall which reduce
the use of concrete
and cement
• Dispense with
unnecessary walls and doors to ensure continuity LIVING ROOM
of air flow

ROOF
• A part of the roof is covered with vegetable
Patch.
• Wastewater recycling unit that recycles
bathwater for garden
• A model of waterless toilet
• Solar cooker

From the roof of the first floor rise several

chimney-like structures with slanting roofs
which are, in fact, skylights. Apart from letting
in light, tiny sections of these structures have
been removed and replaced with wire meshes
to make ventilators.

The ceilings of the bedrooms are high (4m)

which furthers the cooling effect and allows for
a partial mezzanine space. This space can be
utilized as work or sleeping space.

On a hot afternoon, the basement is the coolest

place (it is never more than 23°C), and on a cold
night, the mezzanine above the bedroom is the
warmest place.

BASEMENT
PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR
GOVARDHAN ECO VILLAGE PALGARH,MAHARASHTRA - BIOME

The project was to develop a retreat for the devotees of ISKCON,Girgaum

Chowpatty Mumbai. The brief included, other than accommodation to develop
seminar, prayer, wellness, dining facilities and a Gaushala for hundred cows. The
buildings are built on High ground where they receive better breeze and are designed
to be only one bay deep to allow for cross ventilation. Large semi-covered spaces
provide for comfortable daytime use.

CONSTRAINT-
Location – The site is away from any manufacturing base or skill base, with Mumbai being
the closest 100 kms away. All major materials other than steel and cement had to come
from Mumbai including skilled labor. It was thus important to reduce this transfer of
materials and also impart skills to the locals so as to reduce both economic and
ecological costs .
Water- Other than rains which provided for agriculture, all domestic and animal
husbandry depended on groundwater for sustenance. It was important that groundwater
management be integrated into the planning exercise from the onset of planning
activities.
Energy- As is common knowledge rural India suffers from both quality and quantity of
electricity which made it imperative that the future habitation is self-sufficient in its
needs of future.
These constraints are thus becoming the marker for carrying capacity of the land and it is
on the basis of availability of these resources the total occupancy is going to be
determined.

PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR

GOVARDHAN ECO VILLAGE PALGARH,MAHARASHTRA - BIOME
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES

• Water Management:
Hydrogeological study provided us with clear recharge
and discharge zones suggesting the extraction pattern
with respect to quantity available. This was the basis
for the overall site planning with respect to buildings,
services and roads.
With on-site treatment of waste water, nutrient rich
water is now available throughout the year and food is
grown even in summer months.

• Preservation & Enhancement of Land Use:

From a denuded plantation the land had to become an
eco-system which while providing for human
habitation also had to be bi diversity positive in the
long run

• Resource Management: Site as a Quarry:

As the location was far from manufacturing base the
site was mapped for availability of earth for making of
buildings and through expert skill transfer the future
constructions are possible.
The ponds and water bodies were made in the areas
where soil was suitable for earth construction.

• Construction technologies
Various approaches to use of earth as construction
material has been tried here and different techniques
are employed depending upon the use of the space
and the skill of the builder.
Through introduction of precast construction, U-Block
lintels, and standardization of building elements like
arches and windows speeded the construction process
thereby reducing the of construction. The first phase
was built using skilled masons from Bangalore. In the
subsequent phases, the local mason’s picked up the
skills of using alternate technologies and are now
working on projects outside of GEV, using these
technologies.
PREETHA RAJ R | RA1912201010008 | M.ARCH 1ST YR