Cost & Energy Efficient Building Technologies

Rat Trap Brick Masonry: 

In the RTB bricks are placed on edge in 1:6 cement mortar as shown in the picture. With this technique there is reduction in cost of the wall by 25% as with conventional English bond (9’’thk wall) 350 bricks are required per cu. m whereas in Rat-trap bond only 280 bricks are required and also the reduced number of joints reduces the mortar consumption. (text:  http://www.minergynepal.com/)

The picture below illustrates the walling technique being constructed as display of the technique in occassion of General Convention of Federation of Domenstic and small cottage industries. (Photo taken on 10th Sept. 2012, Location: NASC, Lalitpur)

Precast Concrete Door and Window frames
These is a good cost effective solution as alternate to wooden door window frames.

RCC Door/Window Frame is a precast element produced by castng cement, sand and aggregate with reinforced steel in a wooden or steel mould as per the required size and design. Features of RCC D/W frame are:

• 40% - 50% cost effective than wooden frame
• High Strength with less maintenance
• Can be made in required size and shape
• Foldable & easily transportable
• Alternative of timber thus saves forest

For further information, go to link below:
http://en.dman.de/fileadmin/media/docs/Dokumente_EN/projects/SCP_leaflet.pdf

Architectural Exhibition 2012 - Acme Engineering College

Fohar bata mohar arjan - Published in Nagarik, 6th Sept 2012

Exhibition on Appropriate Green Building material for construction

An exhibition organized on the occasional of World Habitat Day 2011.

Water saving sanitary Fixtures: HansGrohe's new product with water re-use function. The water from the wash basin is stored in the container below it which is used for flushing the commode. 

FIRST EARTH - a documentary on Ecological Architecture

Click on the picture or here [ FIRST EARTH ] to watch full documentary.
Because we believe that as many people as possible should have the option of seeing the FIRST EARTH film, regardless of their financial abilities, for a limited time only we are making beta versions of the 12 chapters of the film available over the internet for free! The DVD version of the film has high-quality video and audio and includes extras.
The individual chapters of the film can also be watched separately from one another. It won't have the same effect as watching the whole film from start to finish, but as part of our vision to make the content as accessible as possible, the chapters can be viewed one at a time.
Chapters 1 through 12 - The Entire Film
Chapter 1 - What's Wrong With Architecture
Chapter 2 - African Earth
Chapter 3 - American Earth
Chapter 4 - Why Earth
Chapter 5 - Empowering Earth
Chapter 6 - Another Earth Is Possible
Chapter 7 - European Earth
Chapter 8 - Arabian Earth
Chapter 9 - Urban Earth
Chapter 10 - Inner City Earth
Chapter 11 - International Earth
Chapter 12 - Future Earth

Panic of LP Gas Shortage: Panacea could be Fuel Briquettes

Women making Briquettes in Balambu, Kathmandu

It is not a new to have news of fuel shortage in Nepal. LP gas and Kerosene fuel imported from India are being extensively used not only in urban areas but also in rural areas. Obviously, they are more efficient and less polluting in compare to firewood fuel. But the problem is, they are not indigenous products hence have to depend fully upon India. Supply, pricing, quality control, for everything, the users are dependent in Indian Fuel market. In many of the cases, this dependence has been exploited in inter-governmental and internal politics.

Notes from Nabeel Hamdi's Lecture at NTNU

This article is just a compilation of the quotations of Prof. Nabeel Hamdi which I have been able to note in his lecture today. I've just put them as I scribe them in my notebook hence you'll not find it as an organized article. These quotations are really touching and inspiring hence I wanted to share with people who cares about these issues. Also slides and the video of lecture (somewhere in same topic) will be useful to you. I found three examples at the last section are very interesting, worth to think over. We may generate many discussion topics from the contents of this lecture. Please comment or add more idea on this to build on it as more useful resource.