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A collaboration of five fresh graduates, Team Architects is a New Delhi-based design practice that realises the importance of eco-friendly architecture in the world, and stresses on the need of using natural materials for building.

TEAM ARCHITECTS, NEW DELHI

Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013 Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013

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Why is it that the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of mud construction is prejudice? Why is mud, as a

construction material, not considered modern? Is it really true that mud is not as strong as concrete and steel? Are concrete and steel perceived to be superior simply because they are results of modern scientific and technological processes? Is this a problem with the material itself or is this merely a problem of the modern mind?

The ‘Villa Ecologique’ in Nkok, Gabon by Team Architects restores the traditionally used material, to its rightful status as a worthy construction material that can be used to fashion durable dwellings in the modern context. It is designed as a proposal to construct residential projects for the Palm plantations and the SEZ of Olam International in Gabon. The teachers of technique are the traditional craftsmen and masons and the science is an unbroken tradition in architecture, one that stretches over 4,000 years.

An UnbrokenTradiTion

A perceptive realisation of a sustainable thought process, an intelligent interaction between two continents and a homogeneous outcome of cross-cultural ideas, the ‘Villa Ecologique’ in Nkok, Gabon by Team Architects propagates the inherent way of life in the equatorial context with a wave of modern, comfortable yet seemingly natural maturity.

Gabon, a small country on the west coast of Africa, is an experience that transports one back to a time when Mother Earth, and not humans, ruled the land. With an airstrip of lethargic goats and dodging forest elephants, endless white-sand beaches, primate-filled tropical rainforests, rolling savannahs and meandering estuaries, its unpretentiousness resonates the impression of an alternate world. Proud of their country’s vast natural resources, the natives, have traditionally, carved their lives from the forests; fishing, hunting, and farming to live in harmony with its constituents.

Today, Gabon stands as an adolescent in its path towards development. Though cities are somewhat rife and government buildings constructed with cement, the architecture of its villages expresses an ingenuous story. The lifestyle, here, is rather impermanent and so are the structures.

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Text: Shalmali Wagle | Images & Drawings: courtesy Digvijay Singh, Abhishek Behera

“We believe that mud construction could be the winning solution for the success of this nation. It would be a revolutionary developmental plan that would attract immense tourism besides setting benchmarks. We think this is an opportunity of development which can impact the city and thus the world.” - Team Architects

The ‘Villa Ecologique’ propagates the inherent way of life in the equatorial context.

The beauty and simplicity of an evolved and sophisticated building technology.

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The ModuleMud - as in clay, gravel, sand, silt, soil, loam, dirt - is ubiquitous. Civilisations, through time, have used it to create stable, warm and comfortable structures. Observations made during the initial site visits discovered the mud available on site, as an excellent material in earth construction. The design employs the technique of cob-construction to a 140sqm two-bedroom residence that symbolises the nation’s pride in its abundant natural assets. Duly respecting the surrounding setting, a humble entrance porch looking towards the surrounding highlands, creates a transitory zone between the inside and the outside, connecting the individual module with the street. Owing to the local community-centred culture, the dining area, where interactions occur over meals, is planned as the nucleus of the house with the other spaces surrounding it. Since circular cob walls are self-stabilised and earthquake resistant, the individual spaces of the residence take circular forms within the envelope. Bedrooms are located with views towards the neighbouring pool which was initially created as the mixing area for the cob-mixture. The earth walls act as thermal mass and maintain a comfortable internal environment

regardless of the harsh direct equatorial sun. While an internal bamboo partition wall between the dining area and the kitchen crafts an interesting play of visibility and shadows, the use of coloured glass bottles as ventilators allow stunning light effects inside the house.

If there are two things precious to a Gabonese native, they are ecology and community. Though Africa is considered as a repository of natural resources in the present day, owing to the current scenario of global energy crisis, it shoulders a significant responsibility of protecting and conserving its resources judiciously. The ‘Villa Ecologique’ combines the ideas of ecology and community, inherent in the culture, developing a strategy that is not only environment-friendly and cost-effective, but also utilises local materials, techniques and skill of the community. Developed as a prototype applicable to different situations, more than a self-standing project itself, the mud-residence module is envisioned to cater to the growing housing needs of Gabon, initiating improvements in the standard of living and enhancing the prospects of tourism.

Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013 Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013

Jali wallfor kitchen

KITChEN8.9sqm.

LIVING12.5sqm

DINING15.2sqm

TOI.4.1sqm

Shaft

TOILET5.5sqm

BEDROOM18.1sqm

BEDROOM16.2sqm

ENTRANCEPORCh

PLINTh AREA = 152.1sqmFLOOR AREA = 87.2sqm (excluding entrance porch)

The internal bamboo partition wall between the dining area and the kitchen.

The use of coloured glass bottles as ventilators.PlAn of ThE VillA

A humble and unpretentious realisation of a sustainable thought.

it restores mud to its rightful status as a worthy construction material.

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The ConstructionThe cob-construction technique employed uses sand, clay and straw. Mixed well, mud is applied to the foundation in continuing layers; each layer adequately dry to support the next and the wall tapered as it is built. The roof is built directly on to the walls, as the walls themselves act as load bearing support structures. This technique requires minimal investment or labour, and very little environmental destruction while allowing for creative and organic designs which blend into the surroundings. The resultant structure is incredibly durable and unaffected by heavy rain. The Gabonese culture is very community-centric and the construction embraces the tactile involvement of the community members encouraging the local people and their expertise about the material and techniques; starting with intricate details of the mix, to laying and finally, to building up the walls and the roof.

While the vast legacy of traditional and vernacular mud construction has been commonly discussed, little attention has been paid to the contemporary tradition of earth architecture. Building with earth in the modern era, focusing particularly on its advantages with respect to context, the project addresses the misconceptions associated with mud construction. It rejects the often assumed notions of its status as a component used in poor rural construction or a fragile and ephemeral material, and pervades both architecture and popular thought by embracing its ecological and physical benefits. It questions the unnecessary politics of building with earth, particularly in developing nations where mud buildings are often thought of as pre-modern or backward. The intervention in thought is humble and unpretentious, showcasing the beauty and simplicity of need, of solution and of one of mankind’s most evolved and sophisticated building technologies.

FACT FILE:Project : Villa EcologiqueLocation : Nkok, GabonArchitect : Team ArchitectsDesign Team : Akshya Singhvi, Digvijay Singh, Abhishek Behera, Shinjita Roy, Swati SharmaClient : Olam InternationalContractor : Gabon Locals (B.W.COM.BTP, SISSE)Project Initiation : August 2012

Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013 Indian Architect & Builder - Feb 2013

The walls.

The openings.

The roof structure.

The roof.

The construction embraces the involvement of the community encouraging their expertise about the

material and techniques.

The layout.