Pre-literacy school with stabilized earth blocks in Vellallapatty, India
Eco-friendly construction with stabilized earth blocks, 2006-2007
The challenge
The 200-year-old village of Vellalapatti is located 15 km from Salem City, in Tamil Nadu, India. The introduction of this pre-school, a concept largely unknown in rural India, provides education for approximately 40 children aged 2-4 annually. The school successfully aimed to encourage parents to continue sending their children to school and remains in use today.
Our role
The school building features a multifunctional space with a large, attached veranda where daily activities like playing, learning, eating, and sleeping take place. The classroom is divided into two sections, with the lower part serving as a play pit. A separate sanitation core with two child-friendly toilets and a kitchen for preparing healthy meals are located outside the main building. The design incorporates a variety of alternative materials that are more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional materials like concrete, steel, and bricks.
How we worked
In October 2006, a piece of land was purchased in the center of the village. The soil was tested for its suitability for making earth blocks. A block-making machine was purchased in Bangalore, and six local people were trained in its use. Additionally, masons in Vellalapatti received training in block masonry.
The walls were built using Stabilized Mud Blocks (SMB), which were pressed from the soil of the land itself, mixed with quarry dust and a small amount of cement. Blocks were also used as a replacement for expensive wooden window frames by creating ventilating openings in the masonry pattern, known as jalis. Blocks were also utilized in the filler slab, an alternative method for constructing the roof. The final construction costs with earth blocks were 30% less than the lowest offer from local contractors using bricks and plaster.
Our partners and sponsors
Technical support was provided by Chitra Vishwanath of Biome Environmental Solutions and Mrinmayee, both from Bangalore, India. The project was financed by Jawi Sportcentrum in Alphen aan den Rijn, BEAR Architects from The Netherlands, and Scholengemeenschap De Hoeksteen in Rotterdam.
