The Design Gesture

Author: Shreeya Patil

Lightweight Architecture: Innovative Materials and Construction Techniques
Introduction
The main objective of a building is to support live loads. In the majority of cases, the dead load of a particular building can be hefty enough. The ratio of a structure’s dead load to its live load determines how lightweight the building is. The smaller this ratio gets, the lighter the building is. The structures in lightweight architecture are relatively simpler. Since the availability of materials depends on the region, the rules and principles of lightweight architecture also change from place to place.
A suspension bridge with tensioned cables is way lighter than a truss, and a truss is lighter than a box girder bridge that is constructed out of concrete. Lightweight structures can be hampered because of differences in temperature, high wind loads, and snow, but they can handle earthquakes. Lightweight structures often induce high labor costs and impulsive use of natural resources. Along with the construction of lightweight architecture, one also has to consider the different types of ways for lightweight architecture elements to be reused, repaired, or even recycling of some or all parts of a particular structure.
Photo by ArchDaily
Lightweight structures are beneficial to our society in terms of ecological, social, and cultural perspectives. The lightweight architecture ensures less wastage of materials. It is possible to dismantle these structures and recycle them. These structures require detailed manufacturing and assembly, thus increasing employment. Lightweight architectural structures contribute to setting up the architectural context of a particular place. As compared to heavy, bulky structures, lightweight structures have less visual weight, giving more pleasing perceptions.
Components of Lightweight Architecture
Cable, membranes, shells, and folded structures and space grids, braced vaults and domes, arches, and trussed systems are some components of the lightweight architecture. The materials used for the membranes can either be PTFE-coated glass or PVC-coated polyester fabrics. These structures can be used for long-span roofs for stadiums and exhibition structures, entrance structures, environmental protection canopies, as well as shopping malls with a covered roof. Lightweight structures successfully carry the loads irrespective of the shape and size of the structures.
Usually, the self-weight of lightweight structures is pretty less. These structures are a result of a combination of advanced construction technologies and lightweight and high-strength construction materials. For doubly curved or other innovative shapes, the surfaces are pre-stressed. These require cutting patterns that are exclusive and intense care during the assembly of the structure. They have a quite visually appealing look and modern charisma.
Photo by UrDesignMag
Lightweight Materials
Graphene is said to be one of the strongest materials in the world. Researchers found that 3D graphene is stronger than 2D. They also found a way to turn the 2D graphene into 3D graphene by designing a new material that had sponge-like characteristics. It is 10 times as strong and contains a 5% density of steel. With a density of 0.9 grams per cubic centimeter, metallic microlattice is the planet’s lightest of all structural materials. It is produced with nickel phosphorous tubes and is used mainly for automotive and aeronautical purposes.
Photo by Inhabitat
Photo by Inhabitat
Carbyne is an exotic form of carbon that was synthesized in 2016. This material is said to be stronger than graphene. This is considered the strongest of all the materials and is twice as strong as carbon nanotubes. Aerographite is said to be the lightest material. It is lighter than Styrofoam, has a density of 180 grams per cubic meter, and can be made into diverse shapes and sizes.
Photo by Inhabitat
Lightweight House Construction
Lightweight house construction uses different construction methods as compared to traditional building methods. The quality of the house is ensured and the house is made to fit in as per the regulations of the building code. Lightweight architecture is an unusual approach to building construction. The materials are self-designable and are a combination of different substances, such as fibers, metals, polymers, woodchips, and clay particles. Avoiding molds and frames allows the building to adapt to different environments on its own. Principles of physics concerning the lightness of a particular structure help in the determination of certain design decisions.
The site context here includes climatic conditions of the site and gravitational forces. Material composition is the very first step in defining the structure. Along with living loads, wind load, and gravitational forces to consider, acoustics, climatic conditions, fire hazards, vibrations, etc. are also taken into consideration to constructing a house with lightweight architecture. Minimization of energy consumption is ensured while construction of these houses. These principles may give rise to innovative design solutions. Proofing against vibration depends on how rigid the materials are and the fixing between them.
As opposed to the common belief that acoustic insulation and visual mass go hand in hand, considering its capacity to prevent the passage of sound. This technique does work, but disabling the structures that transfer sounds is a more effective technique. Thermal comfort in such houses involves ventilation and insulation of the spaces. The energy consumption, heat transfer, humidity, etc. are considered while material selection. Materials like glass or plastic are used to direct the sunlight in the directions desired by the designer as well as the user.
Certain parts of the building may be mass-produced. The entire construction process for lightweight architecture requires fewer efforts as compared to traditional bulky architecture. The use of molds for certain shapes might be avoided to let the materials take shape naturally as per the natural site context and circumstances. At all points, integration of materials is encouraged wherever possible. For example, the frames used for the construction of walls can be integrated to avoid double frames for wall construction.
Advantage of Lightweight Architecture
Lightweight architecture helps in reducing the cost of transportation required for materials. This gives rise to an increase in the construction of speed. Structures constructed as a result of lightweight architecture are more convenient and flexible to use. The rooms in such kind of architecture are lightweight simple products that can easily be bought ready-made in a store instead of bulky construction.
The adaptability of the structure in terms of functionality is a major benefit of lightweight architecture. It takes minimum effort to change the places and rooms with no obligation of using a particular space for a particular chore. It is easier for people to make adjustments on their own by opening up roofs and facades. Services such as water supply, drainage, electricity, etc. are easily changed.
October 29, 2024
Natural Interior Design: How to Add Nature into Your Homes
On today’s date, a majority of the population lives in the cities. As opposed to rural and semi-urban areas, urban areas have lesser open spaces. Natural Interior design is not limited to designing furniture pieces and painting walls. It is something that affects the overall health of a person. With architecture and design, or interior design, designers have to take into consideration, the climatic conditions, the people, their psychology, elements of thermal comfort, anthropometry, and many other criteria to fulfill the needs of the people using that space, physical, mental as well as emotional.
Effect of Nature on Human Beings
According to research, the environment a person lives in not only affects their moods but also affects their physical wellbeing. Things we see, hear, or experience affect our bodies in ways we don’t realize. An unfavorable environment putting you through stress will increase your blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, anxiety, and many other elements that affect your immune system, nervous system and the endocrine system.
Being in connection with nature is one of the healthiest ways to live. It affects the psychology system,human beings. It reduces stress levels and gives us a sense of peace and calm. Having natural elements in your house brings a sense of relaxation and adds character to the space. Being near nature or even being a spectator of nature reduces levels of stress, fear, anxiety, or any other negative feelings and increases pleasant feelings. Even something as small as a little plant on your table in schools, houses, offices, hospitals, etc. is shown to have a significant amount of impact on human health.
Need for Nature Inside
Nature has a soothing effect on us. As human beings, we are genetically conditioned to find nature captivating. According to research, experiments, and surveys, people in hospitals undergoing treatments respond better and have more pain tolerance when they’re given the view of nature. 95% of the people interviewed while studying the impact of nature on general wellbeing claimed that spending more time in nature shifted their depression, stress, anxiety to a state of balance, peacefulness, and calm. This is because experiencing natural elements or even looking at scenes of nature puts people in a positive mood and is associated with overall wellbeing and liveliness.
The Covid–19 crisis has led to a clear disconnect with nature. According to research and surveys, there has been a tremendous rise in the number of people experiencing mental health issues. Chronic diseases like anxiety and depression became a common state of mind for people. Increasing cases of mental illness and normalizing that state of mind. In such a case, natural interior design by bringing nature in would be the best solution for people’s wellbeing. Having plants like golden pothos or a bamboo palm increase concentration level and helps people focus better.
Ways to Bring Nature In
Use of Natural Materials
One way to add more nature would be to use natural elements in the house. The choice of which materials to use may differ from person to person. It can be wooden flooring, a display of natural stones or a leather couch. A blend of natural elements can also make the space more suitable for you. It can display your personality through the interiors.
House Plants
One of the easiest ways to add more natural elements into your homes is houseplants. Remember to research the plant before keeping it in. Also, researching the intensity of lights required by plants and placing them that way is important. You can also keep an herb garden in or out of the kitchen. Having houseplants adds freshness to the space and uplifts the environment. Herb gardens spread aroma in the room and create a pleasant environment. Not to forget the supply of herbs throughout the year. Rooms with plants have less dust and molds because they trap allergens.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are given off by the objects in the room such as carpets, printers, etc. An increased level of VOCs can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and nose. Having natural elements might reduce this effect. Having a plant in the room purifies the environment. Since plants absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen, keeping them around you is always a plus, especially in the bedroom, as it makes a person sleep better. Certain plants like gerbera daisies give out oxygen even at night. Plants like lavender relieve stress and anxiety because of their aroma.
Photo by Kara Riley from The Spruce
Water
According to Vastu Shastra, human beings are connected to all five natural elements fire, water, earth, air, and space. Out of all the elements, water is the most powerful. Water has a cooling effect on humans. Ever wondered why the most influential and financially prosperous cities are near water bodies? It is because water keeps the energy flowing and doesn’t keep them locked. The metaphorical meaning of water is ‘flow of life.’ It is for people to understand that one should always keep going instead of halting or being rigid about things.
Having a water feature makes you feel peaceful. This enables people to enjoy the feel of a water fountain in the comfort of their homes. A less expensive option would set up a fountain. Waterbodies are supposed to keep in the northeast direction for optimal benefits. Having a lily pond, courtyards filled with water, zen fountain, panel-mounted water feature, or even something as small as a bowl of water with a lotus flower in it will do the trick. A crystal or brass tortoise filled with water is also believed to bring good luck. This will give a feel of ‘natural interior design’ the moment a person walks in.
Photo from Royal Granite Studio
Brick or Stone Backdrop
Treating a wall with exposed brick or stonework immediately adds character to a room and elevates it. Stones also help maintain thermal comfort at home. Brick or a stone backdrop is like giving your house a facelift. A stone backdrop can also be created in kitchens near platforms. It can also help heat effect and is easy to clean. This backdrop acts as a focal point in the room.
Photo from UrbanCompany
Photo from Decoist
Wood
Wood is the most used material for construction and interiors. Wood is a common material used from minimalistic to rustic interiors. Wood finish has a variety of colors that change the feel of the design. The finish can go from glossy to raw with visible grains and knots. It is durable and long-lasting and can be used for a variety of elements, including walls, beams, columns, and furniture. Wood gives a nostalgic feeling that makes you feel at home and is a natural material. Paneling, cladding, molding, partitions, flooring are some examples of the use of wood at home.
Photo by Midascode from Pixabay
Light
The way nature affects your house is not possible for any other elements. Sun brings positivity into your homes. It is easiest to get and the least expensive of all natural materials. Sunlight is also important to the physical, mental, and emotional health of the person. It makes the colors pop and makes the room appear livelier. Any corners or rooms of the house where sunlight isn’t naturally available should be well lit by artificial lighting.
Natural Stones
Natural stones can be incorporated into the house with the use of pathways in gardens as a form of hardscape. Pebbles and rocks can also be used in natural interior design. Rocks and pebbles of different colors, textures, and sizes can be mixed and placed in small bowls, pots, vases, cups, or mugs. This is one of the easiest ways to add stones to interiors. These give out a creative vibe in the room and make the place more dynamic.
Flowers
The presence of flowers at home goes way beyond artificial flowers with dust-covered leaves lying in some corner of the room and going unnoticed by people. Flowers kept in vases, potted plants or bouquets can be kept on side tables, desks, dining tables, and coffee tables. According to the space requirements, one can also have a garden of potted flowering plants. A green wall can also be installed depending upon the size of the garden or in the entrance.
Photo by Stock Snap from Pixabay
Adding Natural Elements in Bathrooms
Imagine sitting in a bathtub with hot water running down and aromas from essential oils. On connecting with heat and water, our body relaxes physically and mentally. Adding natural elements to your bathrooms will increase tranquility and give you an experience that will go way beyond just taking a bath. This will aid in good health and help to destress a person.
Adding small pebbles, plants, wooden elements or keeping plants like lavender providing aromatherapy will surely help add nature to bathrooms. The window location should be such as to provide maximum light to create a favorable environment. Another option would build a home steam bath. Humans are inherently programmed to respond positively to steam. This calming environment soothes a person’s soul and makes them serene.
Theme
Creating a theme would be the best way to add more nature to your homes. Make sure you don’t overdo it and every natural element you add is all balanced and in synergy with each other. A theme can also be minimalistic and obscure. Having a forest theme through plants, wood, stones, etc. or an ocean theme with the right balance of water bodies, seashells, etc. can be done. Hanging a picture of a natural landscape would also be a good option to remind people of outdoor spaces through visuals.
Adding wooden shelves or racks or other storage spaces to declutter the space, placing wind chimes in the wind’s direction, and using wooden frames for mirrors or other components of a room are great ways to incorporate more nature. However, you decide to design your space and whichever theme you decide to go for, making sure that the space is ‘uniquely you are a great way to go about it. This enables your house’s architecture and design to reflect your personality and your comfort level will increase.
Photo by Milivigerova from Pixabay
October 29, 2024
Mumbai Architecture: A Natural Mix of Architectural Styles
Commencement Of Development
Bombay City, which is referred to today as ‘Mumbai’, started as a congregation of seven islands, gifted as a dowry in 1661 to the King of England. In 1667, these islands were handed out to The East India Company for 10 pounds every year, after which the development of Bombay began. During this time, The East India Company was just a trading company and India wasn’t under British rule. The inauguration of Mumbai Architecture was done by the British. They started with the fortification of the main island for protecting their land. This area was later called ‘fort’, which lies near the current-day CST Station.
Mumbai City is a blend of people, beliefs, religions, culture, heritage, and languages. The same goes for its architecture and design that has always expressed the bygone era’s practices through the old rustic buildings, resting silently in the middle of chaos and forming the irresistible cityscapes of Mumbai. Countless buildings are asserted to be heritage buildings of national prominence and UNESCO world heritage sites.
Mumbai Architecture in Today’s Time.
Mumbai is a fusion of building designs that are a visual representation of its history aging back centuries. Mumbai Architecture includes architectural gems influenced by Neo-Classical, Victorian-Gothic, Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic and contemporary architectural styles, which are still alive in the city’s commotion for those who are careful to observe it. The European colonists brought a massive collection of European architecture including Romanesque, Neo-Classical, Gothic, and Renaissance.
Towards the South, one would find buildings from the colonial era and soviet style offices. Towards the East, factories, and slums and the West Coast, skyscrapers after the destruction of old textile mills. The best part about Mumbai’s architecture and design, unlike Delhi, isn’t just about monuments and buildings of cultural significance. It contains residential buildings, offices, schools, municipal buildings, administrative buildings as well as cinema halls, i.e., spaces that are open and usable to the public on a day-to-day basis and therefore, relatable.
Types of Architectural Styles
Neo-Classical Mumbai Architecture
The Neo-classical architecture was brought by the European colonists in the 1800s, giving an incredible monochromatic yet sophisticated look. As European architecture was first found in Kolkata, the local traders adopted this style for their own building design. They constructed houses and mansions as an attempt at a fusion of architectural styles. Several houses with a combination of European and Hindu architecture with eccentric decorations dyed in loud and flashy colors can be commonly witnessed there. Inculcation of these styles in monuments of public importance showed rising knowledge of Europe’s broader administrative and majestic role.
The same process followed in other cities under British Rule. After the disturbing events of the Sepoy Mutiny, the heart of all activities moved from Kolkata to the up-and-coming city of Mumbai that went from a forgotten backwater to a magnificent city in less than thirty years. The grand town hall constructed between 1820 and 1835, by Colonel Thomas Cowper, is one of the finest neo-classical buildings in India. The magnitude with which the European notions of townscape, planning, and layout were being inflicted on Mumbai architecture hadn’t been witnessed by anyone before this.
Photo by A.Savin from Wikimedia Commons
Victorian Gothic Architecture
Victorian Gothic, also known as Gothic Revival, replicated new European elements like bold colors, carvings, flying buttresses, lancet windows, and stained glass, making it more dramatic and expressive. This style originated in the mid-19th century under the British Raj. During the age of the cotton boom, many parts of South Bombay have building designs only in this style. A majority of public buildings from the 1860s to the latter 19th century are constructed in this style, still catching the eye of many spectators today.
Since Gothic buildings took a large amount of space, this style used to be reserved for religious buildings during the 11th century. Not long after, a growing need for buildings of public usage was recognized for which Gothic architecture and design was an answer. The architectural traits incorporate a variety of European inspirations like German gables, Dutch roofs, Swiss timbering, Romance arches, and Tudor casements, often inter-fused with traditional Indian features.
Photo by Mumbai Live
The Fort campus of the University of Mumbai, Bombay City Hall, Saint Xavier’s College, Convocation Hall at Bombay University, The Secretariat, Telegraph Office, The University of Mumbai Library, earlier known as the Victoria Terminus, are one of the many exceptional examples of Gothic architecture and design in Mumbai. Rajabai Tower, constructed by the British, is a replica of Big Ben in London. According to writer Jan Morris, “Bombay is one of the most characteristically Victorian cities in the world, displaying all the grand effrontery of Victorian eclectism.”.
Photo by Sushilprit from Pixabay
Art Deco Architecture
A new movement in decorative arts, architecture, and design came to life through an exhibition held in Paris in 1925 called ‘Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes’. This style was later termed ‘Art Deco. Art Deco was introduced in Mumbai in 1930 and is one of the least noticed styles in Mumbai. It has the second-largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world. The first is Miami, whose “tropical deco” is resembled by Mumbai.
Features of Art Deco in Architecture
Art Deco compriseding design persistently inspired this style.
The characteristics included simple façade treatments, geometric orientation, rigid lines, symmetry, flat roofs, curved and smooth walls, and decorative elements. The buildings along Marine Drive and at the west of Oval Maidan are acknowledged by UNESCO as part of a World Heritage site, a merit that is required for the preservation and advancement of the neighborhood. These buildings resemble the laid-back building design in Miami.
Photo by Sarangib from Pixabay
Progression to Deco-Saracenic Architecture
In Mumbai, Art Deco progressed into Deco-Saracenic, an exclusive style combining Islamic and Hindu architecture and design. In Deco-Saracenic buildings, the interiors depicted Victorian architecture and the exterior was Indian. All aspects like lamps, flooring, wood paneling, lifts, railings and grills, muntin, chajjas or weather shades, plinth copings and moldings, cornices, verandahs and balconies, bronze and stainless-steel fittings, brackets, etched glass, ornamental sculptures that extended to names carved out in giant letters, facades that are very airy and inbuilt stepped -back style, etc. were influenced by Deco style.
Two of the major reasons for Art Deco to be standing out in Mumbai Architecture are the easy blend of Deco-Saracenic as well as the variety of materials used. For example, a lot of buildings were constructed out of reinforced cement concrete but had a finish of Malad stone. This treatment was enormously trendy amid a lot of cinema halls that were built during the 20th Century. Metro Cinema, Eros Cinema, Liberty Cinema and Regal Cinema are some examples.
From Mumbai, it spread to other cities in India and lasted till the early 50s paving the way for modernism post-independence. For decades, Art Deco as a style was ignored by people. The best part about Art Deco is that in a city like Mumbai, with gated societies, skyscrapers, and self-centered culture, it gave us buildings with low compound walls and neighborhoods with openness and reminded us of an age of urban harmony. The best examples of Art Deco building design in Mumbai are Regal and Eros Cinemas, Dhanraj Mahal, native residential societies along Oval Maidan and Marine Drive, New India Assurance building at Fort, and Soona Mahal at Marine Drive.
Photo by Narendrabora from Wikimedia Commons
Indo-Saracenic Architecture
From the 1860s, buildings were constructed with domes, arches, minarets, spires, etc. combining features of Islamic and Hindu architecture and design known as ‘Indo-Saracenic’ architecture. Most of the buildings reflecting ‘Indo-Saracenic’ were constructed between 1858 and 1947. These structures partly reflected the British desire for a Royal style of their own, portrayed on a massive scale. They were used to making a metaphorical statement to the world that the British Raj is unbeatable and unshakable. It was a part of the 19th-century movement where they displayed themselves as the natural descendants of the Mughals.
Photo by Walkerssk from Pixabay
This style was mostly used for grand public structures like clock towers, courthouses, government buildings, colleges, town halls, railway stations, etc. The first example of Indo-Saracenic building design is said to be Chepauk Palace, completed in 1768, in present-day Chennai, for the Nawab of Arcot. This style was famous outside India as well, where architects mixed Islamic and European architectural styles. The style was transferred to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, as well as the United Kingdom majorly for big houses.
Features of Indo-Saracenic Architecture
The basic layout was almost the same as other revivalist styles such as Gothic revival and Neo-Classical architecture. Most important elements of Indo-Saracenic architecture include onion domes, chajja, overhanging eaves, pointed arches, cusped arches, or scalloped arches, horseshoe arches, contrasting colors, especially red and white, curved roofs in Bengali styles, domed chhatri kiosks on the roofline, domed chhatri kiosks, pinnacles, towers or minarets, open pavilions, jalis, jhakora styled windows, lawns, etc. The typical material of construction for building design was stone, at least for the facade. Along with this, the groundwork of iron, steel, poured concrete, and later reinforced concrete with pre-cast concrete.
The cost of construction for this structure, including customization, ornamentation, decoration, stone and wood carving, and usual accessibility to mandatory raw materials was quite high, which is why this style was only used for building designs of a larger scale. Although, occasionally constructed residential structures, either entirely or partly in this style, have grown in value by regional and foreign inhabitants because of the increased aesthetic and heritage value of those structures today.
Photo by PDPics from Pixabay
Contemporary Architecture
Modern style architecture can be seen in the suburbs of Mumbai with high-rise buildings and glass facades. Several contemporary high-rise office buildings with glass facades can be seen in the suburbs. Mumbai is said to have the largest number of skyscrapers in India. MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) was formed by the Government of Maharashtra in 1974 for the planning and up-gradation of city suburbs.
Since then, a grading system has been adopted by the authorities in Mumbai to classify structures as per worth. In this system, buildings that are well-known landmarks of national importance are under Heritage Grade I. Buildings of regional and Urban importance are reserved in Heritage Grade II and Heritage Grade III, respectively. After the requirement of Gothic architecture for constructing public halls, parliament houses, mansions, etc., architects from India combined it with Modern style architecture concerning people’s needs and the climate of Mumbai. This style was later known as “Mumbai Gothic.”
October 29, 2024
8 Innovative Productivity Apps for Architects
ArchiSnapper
This app can be a replacement for word and excel for preparing reports. It saves time used for field reports and site surveys. It ensures efficiency in the construction process. With ArchiSnapper, more time is put on content rather than formatting reports. Since the reports are available online years later after preparing them, it saves the trouble of going through loads of in-office data in search of a particular file of a prior completed project. It can be used for sharing site conditions and project status. It is very user-friendly and easy to set up. It consists of Two components –
Online account
The online account saves all the projects with contacts which can be imported from Gmail or Yahoo. The interface allows you to have a list of projects and contacts where the architects and contractors involved in the project can be added to make the data accessible to the team. ‘Documents’ is where PDFs can be uploaded. ‘Categories’ is where different phases of building projects are mentioned and the on-site observations can be added to any of those categories. The categories can be set up once and they’ll be there for the next project, too. Floor plans are added to this information too.
App
The app can be used on a phone or tab. Through this app, the site visit data can be transformed into a field report. It works both on android and iOS. Information related to the site visit can be inserted and upon syncing, it will be transformed into a field report and will be made available online account for editing and distribution.
Data such as the status of the project, weather conditions, images, floor plans, etc. can be added in the already present format. Observations can be added for different categories mentioned. This data can be added in short while surveying the site. Images can be added with observation names and the descriptions can be written later online on the PC.
AutoCAD 360 and Autodesk FormIt 360
These Autodesk apps enable people to open CAD and Revit on their smartphones. You can view and upload 2D and 3D files irrespective of the software used to create those files. FormIt can be synced with Lumion. You can navigate and make changes that will directly appear in Lumion. It creates renders in the form of pictures, videos, and 360 panoramas. ‘3D context creator’ is an interesting feature that intakes surrounding data and prepares 3D models of the buildings around to give a 3D site contextual model for site analysis. You can review models and floor plans, measure dimensions, and track project status anytime, anywhere.
Morpholio Trace
Morpholio Trace has been awarded as the best app for architects, landscape architects, and interior designers. This app is compatible with iOS devices. You can use an Ipad or I pencil for navigation. It combines cad and sketching together and can be used for conceptual drawings, schematic sketches, and design details. You can sketch over images and 3D models with preset perspective grids and insert comments on images.
‘Sketchwalk’ feature allows you to walk around inside your floor plans. A variety of features like customized color palettes, layers, smart rulers, brushes, pencils, and pens with different line weights and opacities are available. You can also customize stencils for landscape or other graphics. These make it perfect for the initial phases of the projects where a person wants to scribble and sketch out design concepts and express the first artistic thoughts, especially with its augmented reality option.
Photo by Architect Magazine
Photo by Morpholio
Magic Plan
Magic Plan can be used by architects as well as contractors. This app helps with sketching, reporting, and estimating faster with more accuracy. It helps in getting the work done on-site while being connected to the office. It can collect and organize data such as sketches, pictures, notes, measurements, markups, etc. It helps in understanding site conditions without having to be physically present there. With the help of the Magic Plan, you can measure and sketch 2D and 3D plans for interior designs, add 360-degree pictures, and notes to have a systematic way of formatting reports.
It also calculates costs on your phone, automatically producing quotes on your phone. It makes the entire process seamless from pre-commencement to post-completion. It can scan the space through your mobile’s camera and prepare a floor plan on its own with precise measurements. It can also prepare a sketch by clicking pictures.
Photo by Clock Shark
Concepts
Concepts app is a digital version of a sketching paper. It combines the flexibility of a traditional sketchbook with the resourcefulness and speed of a digital drawing tool. Redoing sketches is easier with the Concepts app. It combines the features of digital software while allowing you to be creative and explore your artistic side.
Different features include types of markers, pencils, and brushes with a variety of sizes, smoothness, and opacity with the ability to undo, redo, zoom in and adjust pressure sensitivity. Since it is a vector-based app, it offers sharp graphics even after zooming in. Every single stroke can be selected and adjustments can be made to it like width, color, shape, and size. Same selections can be copy-pasted, mirrored, and rotated for making the app easy to use and hike up the level of productivity.
It lets you draw with real accuracy and you can go back and forth from freehand to highly technical drawings. Other features include layers, advanced manipulation, pdf import/export, and a variety of export options to be synced to different devices by setting up a free account. An online manual is available along with step-by-step tutorials and the option to contact help directly.
Photo by Concepts
Archimaps
This extremely easy-to-use app helps you to explore the surrounding buildings. It provides an informative guide about the architecture of places. It has various guides which help you filter through as per cities or architects. The database has information about the building’s architectural styles from all eras.
It can be used for site visits, surrounding surveys, as a travel guide, or just exploring the surrounding architecture. It has information about over 2000 buildings spread out among 14 guides. It works on Android and iOS devices. This app is free and can be used on both smartphones and tablets.
Photo by Archimaps
Houzz
Houzz is an interior decorating app with a feed to browse through. You can share it with contacts or save it to your idea book. You can view photos or search for specific rooms or styles of design which you can filter out based on area, budget, size, floor, color, type, specialty, TV, and wall color. Products with price tags can be directly purchased or saved for later. The comment section allows you to post queries and check reviews.
The ‘Shop’ section has a shopping menu that lets you choose the product you want to purchase. It also has daily sales for purchasing home décor products. The app has a ‘recommended for you section’ with a product list specifically tailored for you. The ‘Find Pros’ section has a list of architects, contractors, interior designers, etc. where you can follow them or directly contact them through the app. You can view their idea books, recent projects, their city, and reviews from other clients.
‘Stories’ section displays articles or blogs related to interior design along with people’s testimonials of space transformation through the Houzz app. ‘Advice’ section allows you to connect with more people, ask queries and answer questions. Sketch feature has tools like pencil, ruler, arrow, text, sticker, furniture, etc. to make a quick interior sketch without going through the entire process of 3D modeling and rendering. The furniture tool lets you add products to your sketch and edit it. This sketch is saved in the idea book from where you can download or share it. Minor setbacks include trouble while image resizing and the inability to change perspectives.
Photo by 9to5mac
Photoshop Express
From images that show site conditions to finished projects, a lot of architectural work requires photo documentation. That being said, a major portion of architects are interested in architectural photography. Photoshop Express is a free photo editing app available on mobiles, pcs, and online. The features include filters and looks, collages, layers, adjustments, undo, redo, lighten images, etc.
Your original photo is displayed in the thumbnail, which lets you see the effect each feature has on your photo. Lights can be added to your pictures. It offers a variety of options for lights. The text feature allows you to pick from a range of styles, colors, and fonts to insert into your images for easy demarcation.
October 29, 2024
Built Environment and Mental Health: Interesting Impact of Building Design on Human Psychology
The built environment around people, directly and indirectly, affects them. Poor housing quality leads to psychological distress. Living in an area that is too congested may have unfavorable effects on a person’s wellbeing. Design elements have a direct connection with a person’s psychological health and they also help a person navigate space.
Living in loud spaces or tiny apartments may create psychological disorders but won’t produce mental illness. Toxins emitted because of air pollution cause behavioral disturbances. Lack of adequate sunshine is also a cause of depressive symptoms. The physical environment alters psychosocial processes and, hence, influences mental health. The constructed environment has a significant effect on personal control, socially supportive connections, and recovery from stress and exhaustion. To investigate the influence of the physical environment on mental health, more prospective, longitudinal research and realistic, randomized trials are required.
The issue of building basic theories on how the built environment affects mental health is much more difficult. It is also possible that certain people are more sensitive to the mental health effects of the built environment. We also need to pay greater attention to the health implications of various environmental risk exposure, since exposure to poor environmental conditions is not distributed randomly and concentrates among the poor and ethnic minorities.
Photo by Dezeen
Designing For Built Environment Services
A holistic conceptual model for designing the built environment for mental health services will improve treatment outcomes and experiences, benefit families and the community, and promote community resilience. The built environment can stimulate or avoid mental strength. Attachment towards a locality refers to the psychological and social connections humans feel with positive locations—their homes, the settings in which they grew up, and others. The conditions of modern-day lifestyles place extraordinary demands on us and regularly exhaust our ability to pay interest.
Having greener settings can relieve mental fatigue and contribute to repairing a person’s ability to pay interest. Crowded, noisy, and dangerous locations have an increase in adverse effects on humans and their mental states, fostering, for instance, pressure, anxiety, melancholy, and violent behavior. Some locations draw humans collectively and, for this reason, support the improvement of social ties and decorate the development of social capital. Places that inspire physical interest can both prevent and treat mental illness. High walls promote gloominess. Windows that are narrow and inaccessible show limited views. The surroundings of the built environment should be pleasant.
Nature Therapy
Before modern pharmacological treatments, it was said that a variation of the surrounding environment might be good for our health, both mental and physical. After developments in modern medicine, people’s interest in environmental factors was minimized. A pill or talk therapy was considered as a solution, rather than changing the surroundings of a person. Recently, the benefit of nature has seen an increasing interest yet again, with studies focusing on the advantages of green spaces in urban and metropolitan regions.
As much as we appreciate nature, we don’t really live like our forefathers. There have been some overwhelming changes in the last three-quarters of the century. For the first time after the Neolithic age, most people are not a part of the agriculture sector. Most of the population lives in towns and cities. The environment we dwell in, its advantages and disadvantages, is mostly artificial. Considering the lifestyle people indulge in today, we spend most of our time in built environments instead of nature. Most of us, sick or well, spend time in a built environment.
Architect’s Role in Built Environment
For a long time, developers’ offers have paid limited regard for people’s happiness. Researchers found that only 4% of the architectural practices do post-occupancy assessments, and only 22% frequently did. This reveals that a huge share of architects don’t appear to be concerned about what people think or feel about their buildings. It is heartwarming that the number of architects designing for health is seen to be increasing day by day and trying to gather research on the effect of buildings on mental health.
Many architects have acknowledged mental health issues in their structural projects. Andrew Maynard renovated his Melbourne home to be so open that the amount of sunlight coming into his home forces him to “wear sunglasses inside”. This was a bid to improve his mental health via his vitamin D levels.
The issue with all the newly constructed buildings is that most people are only concerned about the aesthetic value of a particular building. The one thing that sells is the ‘WOW’ factor of these buildings. As said by Sir Francis Bacon, “Houses are built to live in, and not to look on; therefore, let ‘use’ be preferred. Leave the goodly fabrics of houses for beauty only to the enchanted palaces of the poets, who build them with small cost.”
Whether it is the changing mindset of people, a fluctuating economy, or evolving trends, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry always counters and adapts without postponement. Buildings and built-in interiors can be designed aesthetically, allowing privacy while allowing for social interaction, providing access to the natural world and natural light, and encouraging everyone’s health. One of the most significant silver linings post-covid is the significant rise in mental health becoming people’s priority. Although, even pre-covid, a subtle change in terms of awareness regarding mental health had already begun.
Photo by North Dakota State University
Strategies for Better Environment
Natural lighting, less glare, increased natural ventilation and exhaust facilities, large windows provide wider views, open stairwells encourage walking, provision of open-air patios or rooftops, adjacent exercise areas, including walking trails and pet parks, access to healthy food, integrating mass transportation, carpooling, or bicycle sharing for employees, waterfall structures, are other forms of bringing nature indoors that help uplift mental health.
Biophilia can play a major role in making the built environment more favorable for the user. According to certain clinicians, change is a pretty scary phenomenon for people with mental health illnesses. This results in a barrier when the patients realize their habits will have to be changed in order to feel better. So far, there is no obvious diagnosis and no ‘works for all’ solid solution to mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. Egg-shaped mobile therapy spaces were designed by Karl Lenton to provide prisoners with better and more comfortable access to healthcare.
Versatile furniture might help. According to British studies, having workstations like individual standing desks promotes good posture, prevents cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. Versatility in furniture also helps to make work less monotonous, which leads to a rise in the user’s level of motivation. Instead of a traditional desk, armchairs, bleachers, sofas, and high tables with diversity in colors and textures, offer a wide range of places to sit and experience and a variety of perceptions from people.
Photo by Dezeen
Photo by Dezeen
Space Planning
Spaces should to designed in order to allow social interaction. Having multipurpose rooms with different colors and patterns and terraces or other forms of landscaping overlooking views is a great way to help people unwind. Other examples include yoga and meditation rooms with relaxation areas. Adding a certain level of playfulness in the space is a helpful tool. Inculcating outdoor spaces has always been an important factor.
Photo by Archdaily
Neuroarchitecture has increasingly focused on outside spaces as instruments that may directly affect the brain, similar to charging a cell phone battery. Outdoor spaces, regardless of their amount of greenery, are critical for taking a break and recharging our batteries. Whatever the scale, the idea is to recognize the importance of physical space in the mental health of individuals who use it, as well as how certain measures may improve people’s quality of life.
October 29, 2024
Children-Friendly Landscapes: Simple Ways to Make Gardens Kid-Friendly
Children are the future adults and the things they do, feel, think, and the way they perceive situations eventually affect their personalities as an adult. The only time designers give a thought to children-friendly designs, is when the space that is being designed, is going to be entirely used by children. For e.g., playgrounds, kindergartens, etc. It is of utmost importance to consider a child’s needs while designing a particular space. The comfort level and convenience of a child ultimately affect the way their parents or other adults would access the space.
The visibly obvious rise in using electronic devices by the current generation of kids and teenagers has led to a decrease in the attraction towards going outdoors. Also, since most of the things they need are so easily available online, especially post Covid, there is a certain level of disconnect with nature that is seen in these children. Kids below the age of ten can be seen entirely depending on their mobile phones or televisions.
Continuation of these patterns might affect the kid’s intellectual level as well their human relationships in the future. There is an obvious need to make their experience outdoors and get back in touch with nature. Children-friendly gardens might help attract them.
Accessibility of open spaces for the enjoyment of gardens in urban areas is quite less as compared to small towns. It isn’t always possible for the kids to be outdoors, considering the space crunch. In such cases, adding small natural elements in your front yard or your backyard might do the trick as well. The thought of summer vacations, visits to your grandparents, wind breezing in the backyard play area, making sand forts, ball games, and cycling is paradise. Nostalgic, isn’t it?
It has been a long ride from kids being yelled at to get back home, to being yelled at for keeping the phone aside. Let’s look into some ways to make the garden design more attractive and suitable for our kids.
Ways to Make Your Gardens More Children-friendly
Making a Children-friendly garden design doesn’t require something out of the box or expensive toys. Some tree stumps, stepping stones across a lawn, either left plain or painted and decorated, would suffice as well. The painting can also add to the recreational activities for kids. Play equipment can be incorporated according to your kid’s age and choice. A turf for games or a slide can be added with sandpits and the bottom. Shrubs and flowering plants that are easy to maintain and can sustain some balls and trampling would be great for the kids. Use of bold, bright, loud colors like red, yellow, green, orange, pink, etc. are recommended.
The garden design should have a combination of hardscape and softscape. A certain amount of area should be paved or decked, on which they can cycle, scoot or roller-blade. The provision of a patio would be great too. Incorporate curves in the landscape design since they’re both leading to a path and also visually appealing to the children.
This can be an invitation to a variety of games and races. Visually appealing elements and visual connectivity will attract them to use these spaces like a pathway or paving lined with flowering plants or shrubs, lawns, ground cover, sandpits, furniture painted in loud colors, stepping stones, or rocks painted in cartoon characters, to name a few.
Other alternatives to make garden designs attractive for kids are using dustbins painted in animated characters, alphabet use, or numbers in a specific area like a maze, and child versions of sand equipment or gardening equipment. Forts, hideouts, mazes might increase concentration and build focus. Mosaic tiles can make large or small patterns on walls. You can also get inclined towards sustainability and attempt to make the best out of waste. Waste tires, tubes, or pipes can be painted in bright colors and reused for several activities.
Children-friendly Seating Areas
Photo by Filmy Wap
Keeping a setup of small low height tables and chairs with interesting patterns like stripes, bright and loud colors, polka dots, animations, cartoon characters, and attractive textures can be put in the non-shaded regions for providing a spot of rest to the kids. Multitasking furniture in the garden design is a plus. A wooden swing seat with its two posts fixed to the ground is a great option too. Who doesn’t love a swinging seat?
The use of different materials is recommended in landscape design. Make sure not to use metals that are good conductors of heat and electricity and might lead to inconvenience for the kids. Wood is preferable as it gives a rustic playful vibe with exposed joints and chalk-paint finish. Use of wooden logs inserted into the ground or obtained by chopping of trees might be a great way to provide seating to the kids.
Photo by Laura Leigh from Pinterest
Meditation Areas
Meditation areas can be provided in public gardens and home gardens. This will give rise to additional recreational activities like yoga classes and allow more quality time for the parents and kids together. This can either be entirely open, especially for morning activities, to enable absorption of sunlight or enclosed with some roofing material without walls, allowing ventilation.
A pergola might also work depending upon the geographical location and the climatic conditions of the place. A meditation area in garden design might just be the one thing you need before or after a hectic day at work or school.
Since kids’ lives have become more hectic these days, compared to the older generation, today’s kids have a lot more on their plates from a younger age. The kid must be in solace with nature with pleasant music. This enables a calming and healing environment and is necessary for the kid’s wellbeing. This might help lessen the emotional and physical stress from school and extracurricular activities and help the kid practice mindfulness and balance at a young age, which will affect their adult life.
Acupressure And It’s Benefits for Kids
A specific area in the gardens can be dedicated to being accessed barefoot to experience textures of all the materials. This area can have pebbles, lawn, sand, small stones, and ground cover. Provision of texture in a garden design is very essential for the kids. According to research, acupressure is of significant benefit for kids and young adults because of high QI energy in them as opposed to adults. Acupressure aids a lot of health problems in kids.
It can help with digestive disorders, sleeping problems, respiratory issues like asthma, allergies, and colds, hyperactivity, learning disorders such as ADHD, and anxiety, skin problems such as Eczema, Psoriasis, and Chicken Pox, as well as teenage ailments like Acne, PMS, sports injuries and depression.
Photo from Real Homes
Plants, Herbs, and Shrubs
Make sure the plants you are putting up, especially in a home garden, are children-friendly. Philodendron, Pothos, English Ivy, Easter Lily, Oleander, Daffodils, Dieffenbachia, Peace Lily, Mistletoe, Holly, Caladium, Azalea, Morning Glory, and Foxglove are some plants to avoid for your little ones to be safe. Shrubs in the periphery of a particular area will aid in visual connectivity instead of blockage by the trees.
An herb garden or a veggie patch can be maintained on your own premises. You can get the little ones more drawn towards gardening and this calls for a growing competition between kids! Giving them their own equipment, and acknowledging a portion of land solely for them and their plants might spark motivation and creativity for gardening. It will also make your landscape design more customized and unique.
Photo from Total Landscape Care
Maze areas
Maze areas can be from start to end where the kid enters the maze at one end and comes out at another end. They can also be more like a treasure hunt, where kids are expected to solve quizzes at different checkpoints to find their way to the next level. Mazes in landscape design enhance children’s brain development, memory, and problem-solving, keep them active, spark creativity in them, and increase gratitude towards nature.
You can encourage the kid to talk about what they see, and how they feel about the surrounding environment, which will not only help their speech and vocabulary but also urge them to express themselves more. The sight of nature, the smell of fresh air, the crunching sound of leaves, and the feel of this atmosphere all provide a sensory experience to the kids by activating their sense of touch, smell, sight, and hearing.
Photo by Susanne Mumm from Pixabay
Means of Exercising
The provision of cycle tracks in landscape design will make the kid be more in touch with exercising. This can create a daily routine for them. Trampoline is a great way to enable exercising as well. A sunken trampoline will prevent the kids from falling down. Rope climbing and climbing frames are also great ways. They can also be installed in your own backyard or indoors.
Building A Teepee Garden
Instead of an open chunk of land, putting up elements of roofing or partial roofing in garden design is always a better alternative. Playhouses, pergolas, canopies, umbrellas, and gazebos are some options to provide shade in the garden so it doesn’t get too hot on a sunny day or during summer seasons. Play tables with small seats or stools partially enclosed in pergolas might do the trick.
Kids love to have their hide-out place. There are teepees available in the market that can accommodate adults and children. They are also known as polycotton tents. Hanging teepees with canopy coverings that can be UV and water-resistant are also available. Mini teepees would work best for kids. This is will offer them their own den that is homely and comfortable.
Building a teepee garden will not only provide them with a cozy space, but also make them fall in love with nature. Tying up some bamboo poles together and covering it with climbers as shade will help. This is the most inexpensive way to have a teepee in your home. Also, building the teepee can be a fun activity for the parents and children together.
Photo by Terra Trellis
Water
For putting water features in kids’ garden design, parents are skeptical since it raises the question of safety, especially for kids under five. Considering some really unfortunate incidents of kids drowning in ponds, quite a lot of parents have chosen to either not have a water body or turn it into a sandpit until the kids get are old enough.
A fountain can be an interesting water body to put in landscape design. A bubbling fountain is both exciting and attention-grabbing for the kid. Placement of statues or sculptures is a common practice in water features. It reduces the risk level for children while giving an enjoyable option to the kids so they don’t miss out on the fun. Having fences around a water body might help increase the safety level. Another alternative would use water bodies with really low depth or really low water levels. Although these suggestions aren’t full-proof solutions, they’re definitely something one can try.
Sensory Gardens
Stimulation of senses is important for the wellbeing of a person. Doing that at a younger age will certainly have its own benefits. For the sense of sight, plants with flowers that have bold and bright colors like marigolds, nasturtiums, and sunflowers, or Swiss chard for its multicolored stems will help. The rustling of grass and leaves is amazing to listen to on a quiet day.
A variety of textures in garden design will encourage kids to use their sense of touch. A mixture of fun smells can be inculcated as well by the use of curry plants or chocolate cosmos. Growing simple herbs like chives and mint or a pot of strawberries are a great way to stimulate their taste buds.
Other Elements
Mud kitchens and playhouses might just be one of the easiest ways to get your kids out of the house. You can have a small setup of a mud kitchen with miniature utensils and spatulas. Organizing events such as skating, or boating competitions aside pons, or other water bodies, or go-karting, exhibitions, information sessions, etc. will help attract more public to the gardens which will get more kids out there.
Using rocks also gives a certain character to the place. The methods by which you can use rocks in a garden design are countless. The rocks can also be painted in upbeat colors and can be used for seating as well as boundaries for certain areas. Creating a themed garden might also help attract kids. The themes can be forest, music, ocean, rocks, shoe, airplanes, science, sports, flowers, etc. Scratch and Sniff Gardens are other options.
Photo by Michelle Gikov from Pinterest
October 29, 2024
Housing in Natural Calamities
Housing in Volcanic Zones
The first thing that people think about volcanic damage is fire damage because of lava. Mudslide damage, floods, and ashes are the most damaging in buildings. Volcanic eruptions of one of the most potent and damaging natural calamities. It also triggers a Domino effect of other disasters. Dust and ashes in the sky can collapse on the roofs. One of the most important things to do is to protect the roof from ash compilation. Flat roofs are usually avoided because it leads to a buildup of ashes. Similarly, heavily stooped roofs are also avoided because ash is corrosive.
Photo by MauliNow
Building Design in Volcano Zones
The roof is meant to be smooth with a slick surface so the Ash slides from it. Reinforcing the structure with titanium makes it durable, robust, and is used for lateral support. The house is supported on stilts. These design solutions do not offer entire volcanic resistance. Volcanoes instigate earthquakes and tsunamis. These solutions do not complete protection, but protect the home on some level. Experts suggest the use of extra roof support and avoiding flat roofs or roofs with complicated designs. Concrete reinforced buildings are protected from storms and other disasters. Use of timber is supposed to be avoided.
Effect of Volcanoes on Buildings
Volcanoes result in slow-moving Lava whose temperature goes up to 1292 °F to 2192 °F (700 °C to 1200 °C). Volcanic eruption leads to poisonous gases and strong storms. The distance of a building from a volcano doesn’t determine the degree of damage that it does. A building’s proximity to lava and the pyroclastic flow zones determines the level of damage a volcano might inflict on the building.
According to national geographic, pyroclastic is the rapid flow of lava, volcanic ash, and gasses running down in fickle ways. They’re hazardous because they can’t be stopped, even by water, and consume everything that comes in their way. Lava moves at a slow speed which buys people the time to escape, but, pyroclastic flows are rapid and go up to 200 miles per second.
Usually, buildings with stilts can withstand lava. Since ash is heavier than snow, it can damage the paint, flooring, drainage systems, and other structural support systems of the building, like HVAC. If the interiors aren’t maintained, it increases health risks. Volcanic eruptions also give rise to extreme storms and fierce winds that may fling boulders through the air and crush buildings that aren’t constructed properly. Fire, earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides are some of the after-effects of the eruption.
Photo by KitingField
Use of Lava Rocks
Using lava rocks for building construction makes it durable towards the lava. The downside to this is the complicated technicality and cost of construction. Buildings in Hawaii historically used lava locks for construction. Although this can be a great technique, the difference in composition of these rocks can be a hurdle in accomplishing quality construction. Some rocks are heavy and robust, while some are flimsy and quite crushable. This technique is not cost-efficient. Reinforced cement would be the best option for buildings in volcanic regions.
Techniques and Materials for Earthquake Resistant Homes
Earthquakes are one of the most dangerous, impactful, and damaging disasters of all time. The aftershocks are sustained by the neighboring places. Structures built with stacked bricks and mortar and weak. In such houses, the weight is carried from the roof to the walls, all the way to the foundation. When such houses are subjected to seismic forces, it is very easy for them to crumble down. Concrete blocks or unreinforced bricks put the structure in a great degree of danger. Concrete and wood are earthquake resistant.
Base isolation techniques permit the foundation to move without moving the entire structure. In this technique, isolation pads made from lead, steel, and rubber reduce the damage. Another technique is called damping, which involves the installation of shock absorbers that reduce the magnitude of earthquake vibrations. The most popular technique is called Base Isolation Technique. In this, the structure floats on a lead rubber bearing. A structural engineer ensures the seismic improvements in the buildings. The impact of the earthquake is beyond control. The necessary measures can be taken to ensure minimal damage. The walls, partitions, and slabs are thin and light.
Photo by MSB
Housing in Flood Prone Areas
Floods have been the reason for loss of human lives, loss of cattle lives, degradation of public utilities, damage of crops, and migration of the inhabitants. According to the National Commission of Floods, around 400 lakh hectares of land in India are under the flood-prone zone. Around 320 lakh hectares can be provided protection, which constitutes 80% of the total flood-prone zone. Structural measures can be taken to prohibit water from entering the habitations.
Photo from Earth bound
Categories Of Damage
According to an export group appointed by the Ministry of Urban Development, the government of India, there are five categories of flood damage. G1 stands for very low damage, where there are fine cracks in the plaster and about 10% of the total surface of walls is subjected to falling. G2 stands for Low damage, where the cracks are around 6m wide and about 50% of the total surface area of the walls is subjected to fall.
G3 stands for moderate damage where there are large and deep cracks in the walls. This leads to damage to the walls, electrical fittings, and loss of belongings. G4 stands for high damage where there is significant damage and loss of property. The property may experience collapse, sinking, and the lighter parts of the buildings may even float away. G5 stands for very high damage.
Photo by Down to Earth
Curbing Effects of Flood
Embankments near river channels, river damming, raising the level of villages above flood level can n all help in the prevention of floods. Proper planning of stormwater drainage system and including it in the master plans reduces the chances of urban flooding. Soil testing matters in determining the soil’s capacity to absorb water.
Houses built by filling small water bodies with sand have more chances of sinking. Houses built on slopes by removing the soil have higher chances of landslides during months. Houses are built away from any source of water, or away from areas where the course of water bodies has changed during previous floods.
Before constructing buildings in the flood-prone zones, maps are produced which show the flood-prone zones and contours at an interval of 0.3m or 0.5m. The frequencies of flooding in each area are also mentioned in these maps. The degree of submersion or accumulation of water is also marked on these maps.
Photo from Flood List
Precautions through Construction such Natural Calamities
Houses are raised and built on elevated platforms to avoid floods. Houses are built on stilts. Kutcha houses made of mud, clay, or brick or stone walls with mud mortar are very easily damaged by rain. Water seeps into them through roofs or directly through walls. The upper surface of the roofs can be plastered with water-proof mud plaster and also can be made fire-resistant if applied on the internal side.
150-200 mm thick black polythene of heavy gauge sheets can be laid at mid-thickness or upper quarter thickness of the clay layer as an alternative. The drainage of the roof should be ensured, and the lower portion of the wall next to the fall of water should be made a pucca. Water-proof mud, lime, or cement plaster is used for plastering the top of parapets. 500 mm of roof projection protects the wall from saturation.
Another method to protect walls is using burnt bricks externally and sundried bricks internally. This wall will be one and a half brick thick. The minimum plinth should be 450 mm above ground level, and a DPC (Damp Proof Course) should be laid at the plinth level on all the walls.
October 29, 2024