Special Mud Project Project
Monday, June 9, 2014
The Mud Housing Project [MHP] was initiated through SPARC (local NGO) in 2010, but it has a history, which began in 1990 in a village development project (Thatta Kedona) in the district of Okara (Gogera) in southern Punjab.
The mud construction has a long tradition (Harappa) in this region and it is still used extensively in the rural areas. However it has not developed further due to the influences of the city culture. Double storeyed mud constructions are however found very seldom. This although mud housing has many positive-construction biological properties and it is much more energy efficient than constructions of baked bricks and steel concrete. Purpose of the MHP is to emphasize the usefulness and importance of mud construction in city development.
An attempt is being made in cooperation with architecture students of PU, COMSATS, BNU, NCA and a constructor (Thekedar) from Harappa-Museum to develop solutions on the basis of a traditional mud hut, which would ultimately lead to a change in urban development strategies.
As a start, construction was started at the premises of the Peersada Cultural Complex; the mud construction serves as accomodation for the handicraft workers.
In cooperation with SPARC and the DGFK (german NGO's), support through the SES (Senior Expert Service) in Bonn and the German embassy in Islamabad was obtained. The MHP has gained additional importance due to the consequences of the recent floodings in Pakistan.
Financial means are to be used effectively, local solutions are to be found, the daily requirements (e.g. hot water, cooking, etc.) are to be considered. Possibilities of using Appropriate Technology are to be explored. The MHP should be understood as the initial flame and its aim to urgently establish a facility for experimental construction, which requires availability of suitable piece of land.
In connection with MHP, this term the special-project "SHE" via SPARC was organized. For this we had a meeting with Prof Malik from COMSATS in Islamabad and with Prof Khan from IVSAA in Karachi. We had discussed excursions with students from Islamabad and Karachi, together with students from Lahore Universities, like before.
The five institutions from Lahore have experience with Mud Housing, because their exposure to the experimental houses on the BNU Campus and the buildings in the village Thatta Ghulamkha Dhiroka.
Excursions are one side, but more important is, to bring a workshop as a curriculum in the curricula of the schools, which is very time-consuming.
A graphic below shows the present situation as an opportunity and chance, both.
The cooperation with SPARC (Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture) in Lahore and FPAC (Foundation for Promotion of Academic Collaboration) works good for the project. In case of FPAC, they have to work on organization level.
Unfortunately GreenMag, like a mouthpiece for architecture, solar and appropriate technology for students-projects for architecture in Pakistan and abroad was not published last year, the issues are ready in digital form though.
Perhaps, we have a chance in the future.
Labels: BNU, Education, Mud Architecture, Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:36 AM,
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Mud House Owners Annual Quality of Life Competition - 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Friends of Thatta Kedona know about our annual Mud House Owners Annual Quality of Life Competition – cherished AFA tradition when owners compete for the best mud house, details and designs. Everyone take part and prepare before the competition. It goes without saying that this is the spirit of that NGO AFA has infused in the villagers and they look forward to the compaction. In the process the village can be seen in an immaculate condition round the year. Here are some of the images of the competition this year:
Read more »Labels: Mud Housing Project, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, Thatta Kedona Impressions
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:28 AM,
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Mud Housing Project
Monday, November 19, 2012
Labels: Mud Housing Project, SPARC
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:00 PM,
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Peerzada Cultural Complex Yard
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Read more »
Labels: Images, Lahore, Mud Housing Project, SPARC
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 7:57 PM,
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Mud House Project Partners
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Gwendolyne (left) from Beaconhouse University (BNU), Ayesha from Nation College of Arts (NCA) with another designers and Mud House Project Sonja
Labels: Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:15 AM,
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Mudhouse Owners in Rural Area
Saturday, August 11, 2012
SPARC has laid down foundation of another beautiful tradition for preservation of special compounds in rural areas. The functional mud houses will be selected, earmarked and Mudhouse Owners in Rural Area (MORA) will be paid rupees 10, 000 per year for continuous maintenance (permanent (3-4 times repair of the mud house in a year) of the compound in their own mud homes. Mud houses must be open for visitors and students for physical measurements ( of temperature). This year three mud houses have been selected and earmarked in village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka.The owners will be paid the award amount by Lahore based NGO SPARC at the end of the year (April next year).
MORA will go a long way in preservation of rural cultural and traditional heritage as well as the functional mud houses.
Labels: MORA Project, Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4:29 PM,
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Students of Architecture from Lahore on excursion trip to TGD
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka, commonly called Dolls Village, has special attraction for all those who are interested in architecture and those who are interested in traditional housing. Thanks to the long standing experiences of the TTTC with simple technology and mud housing, combined with the cooperation with SPARC in Lahore that the common perception about local and environment friendly materials has undergone a fundamental change. Through the initiative IEC@BNU and through the FPAC Foundation, which publishes the quarterly magazine GREEN MAG, for the first time architecture students and professors have visited the project intentionally in order to acquaint themselves with the traditional mud architecture and how it exists in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka. On their way to the village, between Lahore and Okara, the group also visited a Bio-Gas-Installation facility. Here are some images of the trip.
Read more »Labels: Mud Architecture, Mud Housing Project, TGD
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:46 AM,
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Concept - Mud Housing Project
Friday, February 10, 2012
The MHP was initiated through SPARC (local NGO) in 2010, but it has a history, which began in 1990 in a village development project (Thatta Kedona) in the district of Okara (Gogera) in southern Punjab.
The mud construction has a long tradition (Harappa) in this region and it is still used extensively in the rural areas. However it has not developed further due to the influences of the city culture. Double storeyed mud constructions are however found very seldom. This although mud housing has many positive-construction biological properties and it is much more energy efficient than constructions of baked bricks and steel concrete.
Purpose of the Project
Purpose of the MHP is to emphasize the usefulness and importance of mud construction in city development.
Usefulness
An attempt is being made in cooperation with architecture students of PU, COMSATS, BNU, NCA and a constructor (Thekedar) from Harappa-Museum to develop solutions on the basis of a traditional mud hut, which would ultimately lead to a change in urban development strategies.
Implementation
As a start, construction was started at the premises of the Peersada Cultural Complex; the mud construction serves as accomodation for the handicraft workers.
In cooperation with SPARC and the DGFK (german NGO's), support through the SES (Senior Expert Service) in Bonn and the German embassy in Islamabad was obtained.
Current Importance
The MHP has gained additional importance due to the consequences of the recent floodings in Pakistan.
Short term aims
Help is necessary. Financial means are to be used effectively, local solutions are to be found, the daily requirements (e.g. hot water, cooking, etc.) are to be considered. Possibilities of using Appropriate Technology are to be explored.
Long term aims
The MHP should be understood as the initial flame and its aim to urgently establish a facility for experimental construction, which requires availability of suitable piece of land.
For various reasons, the implementation has to done in steps. The first steps have been taken.
Labels: Lahore, Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:34 PM,
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Cooperation in Mud Housing Project
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Mud Housing Project is being currently implemented by SPARC in Lahore.
SPARC had taken up the initiative years ago in order to remind of the importance of mud as construction material and to sensitize the general public in this respect.
Mud is not a construction material of the past; that steel concrete and bricks have pushed back such good construction material is a story in itself. Considering the enormous costs of cooling and heating the current form of buildings, it becomes quite clear that mud is environmentally friendly, energy efficient and biologically far superior.
In order to realize the initiative, SPARC was successful in arranging foreign support as well as a local architect, who is working since the year 2000 in south western Punjab, and together with DGFK, it has been giving prizes under the Preservation of Cultural Heritage program: for the best maintained Mud House, Brick House and the most interesting Design.
Now in the realization phase of the initiative, it was important to gather financial and organizational support as well as participants open to new ideas, which was made easier through the provision of land by the Peerzada Group on their Cultural Complex. The planned rooms are to be used by the handicraft workers as sleeping quarters in the night while they work in Workshops during the day.
Example of appropriate technology (solar cooker i.e.) will also be available for demonstration purpose and in order to be independent of the public technical infrastructure.
This combination was also greeted by the universities PU, COMSATS, BNU, who find it useful for involvement of students in practical projects: construction physical measurements are part of the MHP as also experiments with materials.
Generally speaking, the MHP comes at a time of extreme flooding misery around the river Indus and therefore unintended becomes current in its own right. There are however no demonstrated examples of the concept, which can contribute to experience and which can be adjusted for example for usage in the crisis regions.
The initiative described above is small, but it has a large potential: Help at the Indus is of course a priority, but the construction methods in the urban areas are to be examined closely in terms of energy consumption. Mud housing is normally ground floor construction, but there are also interesting mud house examples in double storey construction.
A project of experimental construction is therefore required for a more exact evaluation and experimentation of this and other aspects of mud housing.
Labels: Lahore, Mud Architecture, Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:29 PM,
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Opening ceremony and press conference Mud Housing Project
Monday, December 20, 2010
Mr Dauth from German Embassy and guests with Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch and Thikedar Mr Iqbalon Mud Housing Project from Appropriate Technology in Green Acre, Peerzada Cultural Complex, Lahore
Visitors from Punjab University with Prof Mansoor Durrani discussing Mud Housing Project and applications of Appropriate Technology at Peerzada Cultural Complex, Lahore
Posters display (about Mud Housing and Appropriate Technology), TTTC from AFA had inspired SPARC (NGO) Lahore for this project. TTTC in TGD is working in close cooperation with CAT in Bamenda
Visitors in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (AFA-TTTC), with Mr Farooq about Kite Project for electricity production
Members from Lahore Mud Housing Project talking with Mr Farooq discussing about Mud Houses and Appropriate Technology
Labels: Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:50 AM,
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Press Conference - Mud Housing Project
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Press Conference about Mud Housing Project / Appropriate Technology at Peerzada Cultural Complex, Lahore (on the occasion of the last day of Asian Conference of Architects in Johar Town, Lahore)
Labels: Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:18 AM,
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SPARC invites you to Mud Housing Project
Friday, October 29, 2010
Labels: Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6:55 PM,
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Mud Housing Project, Lahore
Monday, October 18, 2010
Peerzada Cultural Complex, Green Acre, Lahore
in cooperation with
SPARC (NGO), Lahore
(Anees Yaqub, Syed Ghayyoor Obaid, SAJ Shirazi, Aamir Rafique, Naeem Bajwa)
SES, Bonn
and
German Embassy, Islamabad
and
AFA (NGO), Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka (Farooq Ahmed)
DGFK (NGO), Berlin and IPC (RC)
Participants / Students:
Hamza Bajwa / former NCA – Khurram Syed / presently BNU – Shoaib Anees /former UET
Excursion: Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka
Lecture: Introduction (MudHousing), Housing in General, LongTime Measurements
Prof. Dr . Norbert Pintsch , M.Arch, MCE, MBA / SES, AFA, SPARC, DGFK, IPC
Thekedar:
Moh. Iqbal, Harappa Museum Complex
Labels: Mud Housing Project
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:19 PM,
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Mud Housing Project
Friday, October 15, 2010
Peersada brothers with Tikedar (contractor) Iqbal from Harappa
Years ago, SPARC had taken up the initiative to refresh the importance of mud as construction material and to sensitize the general public in this respect. Currently, the Mud Housing Project is being implemented by SPARC in Lahore.
Mud is not a construction material of the past; only steel, concrete and bricks have pushed back such useful construction material, (this is a story in itself.) Considering the enormous costs of cooling and heating the current form of buildings, it becomes quite clear that mud is environmentally friendly, energy efficient and biologically far superior than any other construction material.
In order to realize the initiative, SPARC was successful in arranging foreign support as well as a local architect, who is working since the year 2000 in South Western Punjab, and together with DGFK (German Society for the Advancement of Culture, Berlin), it has been giving prizes under the Preservation of Cutural Heritage program for the best maintained Mud House, Brick House and the most interesting Design.
Now in the realization phase of the initiative, it was important to gather financial and organizational support as well as participants open to new ideas, which was made easier through provision of land by the Peerzada Group near their cultural complex. The planned mud rooms are to be used by the handicraft workers as sleeping quarters in the night while they work in Workshops during the day.
Example of appropriate technology (solar cooker) will also be available for demonstration purpose and in order to be independant of the public technical infrastructure.
Example of appropriate technology (solar cooker) will also be available for demonstration purpose and in order to be independant of the public technical infrastructure.
This combination was also greeted by the universities Punjab University, COMSATS and BNU, who find it useful for involvement of students in practical projects like construction and physical measurements that are part of the Mud Housing Project.
Generally speaking, the Mud Housing Project comes at a time of extreme flooding misery around the River Indus and therefore unintended becomes current in its own right. There are, however no demonstrated examples of the concept, which can contribute to experience and which can be adjusted for example for usage in the crisis regions.
The initiative described above is small, but it has a large potential: Help in the Indus Basin flood hit areas is of course a priority, but the construction methods in the urban areas are to be examined closely in terms of energy consumption. Mud housing is normally ground floor construction, but there are also interesting mud house examples in double story construction. A project of experimental construction is therefore required for a more exact evaluation and experimentation of this and other aspects of mud housing.
Related: Mud Housing Project
Labels: Lahore, Mud Housing Project, Real Estate, SPARC
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:01 AM,
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