Sustainable Habitats

SUSTAINABLE HABITATS
Architecture Programme for Professionals
29 April - 2 May 2015
Auroville Green Practices Sustainable Habitats is a workshop aimed at deepening the understanding
of a sustainably integrated approach to planning, designing and building of human habitats. A series of
interactive workshop sessions, presentations and site visits based on the broad themes of planning and
design, green building material, energy management, integrated water management, waste manage-ment
and landscaping will be offered. It is a comprehensive learning program for professionals and young
architects with a focus on integrated sustainable solutions for human habitats. Participants will get a rich
and diverse exposure to various design approaches from all over the world.

15-18 October 2014
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN AND
EVALUATION
“Technology based sustainability” as solutions for Architectural design encompasses various visual
aspects like balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis and unity. And it also includes environmental as-pects
like context, climate and sustainability. Unlike the fine arts, architecture also has a scientific and a
socioeconomic component , so it has to incorporate issues like equity, economy, utility and operational
systems management.But architectural design is also much more than the sum of it is parts for it is a
team exercise between the designer, the user and the environment within which is it embedded.
So, when it comes to the principles of architectural design, one has has no crutches of postulates and
formulas to shore up uncertainty. Rather in a globalizing world, the architect is forever challenged to
widen his /her own preferences and perception, as there are no unique solution for any given design
problem as the diversity of cultures and contexts allows for infinite aesthetic potentials.
Facilitator:
Suhasini Ayer-Guigan has over 20 years of experience in sustainable design, green building practices and
planning. She is the founder and principal architect of the Auroville Design Consultants. She is co-recipient of
the Hassan Fathy Award for ‘Architecture for the Poor’ in 1992 and recipient of the Design Share Award for
educational buildings in 2003 and 2005.
www.agpworkshops.com

15-18 October 2014
PARTICIPATORY DESIGN
This session is meant as an introduction to participatory planning and design. The first half
will showcase some examples of such experiments within Auroville. In the second half we
will have an experiential session of one such model - co-creating cafe. The emphasis will be
on creating and holding a space that allows to learn from each person’s inner potential by
respecting each other’s viewpoints and by deep listening. This leads to a process of co-cre-ation
where differing viewpoints and expertise get woven together into a fabric that is based
on the highest common denominator of all participants.
Facilitator:
Mona graduated from the School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad and did her masters in
Germany on Appropriate Technology at Flensburg University. She is practicing in Auroville since
1990. Her Studio offers a personalised approach to holistic solutions for designing and build-ing
- stressing on research in the fields of Baubiology ( Building Biology) and activating the five
senses through architecture, interiors and landscaping while combining beauty and functional-ity.
Sustainability for her is a way of life and not an add-on. She has also been a core group
member of the Dreamcatchers, a forum for envisioning and participatory city planning.

15-18 October 2014
CLIMATOLOGY
“Technology based sustainability” as solutions for the issues and problems that arise out of
the fossil fuel use has serious limitation especially for developing countries like India with
its fast growing population and depleted ecological services. “Climatology” is a “design
based sustainability” that works within the natural systems of the place. From watershed and
contour-based site planning to intelligent envelope design for climatic comfort saving on the
operational energy inputs. It is also a system of adaptive design with active participation from
the end user including life style changes to work towards reducing the negative impact of
urban development on nature.
Facilitator:
Suhasini Ayer-Guigan has over 20 years of experience in sustainable design, green building prac-tices
and planning. She is the founder and principal architect of the Auroville Design Consultants.
She is co-recipient of the Hassan Fathy Award for ‘Architecture for the Poor’ in 1992 and recipi-ent
of the Design Share Award for educational buildings in 2003 and 2005.

15-18 October 2014
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE
The course contains an introduction session about Earth Architecture and the diver-sity
and universality of its global application. Participants will learn about particular
earth techniques and building with arches, vaults and domes and will get hands on
experience in the production of Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB).
Facilitator:
Satprem Maini founded the Auroville Earth Institute in 1989 and has been develop-ing,
consulting, teaching and promoting earthen building technologies and earthen
architecture in several countries besides India. An internationally acknowledged ex-pert,
he has been the representative for Asia of the UNESCO Chair “Earthen Archi-tecture,
Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development” since 2000, he is also
a consultant for several United Nations programs and a member of the International
Centre of Earth Construction and Indian Society of Earthquake Technology (ISET).
He studied at School of Architecture of Lyon (France)and holds a masters degree in
Earthen Architecture from the School of Architecture, Grenoble (France).

15-18 October 2014
LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS (1)
From the very beginning, Auroville architecture has been a rich field of experimentation. Some archi-tects
are more interested in form but others are concerned that the materials that they use should
be as environmentally sensitive and sustainable as possible. To this end, indigenous materials and
designs have been adopted and adapted and other promising construction technologies, like re-inforced
earth blocks and ferrocement, have been developed or refined. Today, Auroville presents
a remarkable variety of styles, from simple thatch and mud houses to apartment complexes and
public buildings.
Facilitator:
Mona graduated from the School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad and did her masters in Germany on
Appropriate Technology at Flensburg University. She is practicing in Auroville since 1990. Her Studio offers a
personalised approach to holistic solutions for designing and building - stressing on research in the fields of
Baubiology ( Building Biology) and activating the five senses through architecture, interiors and landscaping
while combining beauty and functionality. Sustainability for her is a way of life and not an add-on. She has
also been a core group member of the Dreamcatchers, a forum for envisioning and participatory city plan-ning.
She is currently a member of L’Avenir d’ Auroville, Auroville’s Town Planning and Development Group.

15-18 October 2014
LOCAL BUILDING MATIERIALS
This session introduces a method in which modern and traditional materials can be used
in contemperorary structures. Participants will be introduced to conceptual features be-hind
the design and get to know about various alternative building materials used .
Facilitator:
EartHauz Architecture & Design was established in 2004 by Manu Gopalan. It is located at
the International House in Auroville. The current focus of the firm is to develop Intermedi-ate
Technology in construction using 100% natural & recycled materials, participatory design
and self-help construction. EartHauz is committed to the conception and construction of built
environment that is essentially ecological, site specific, climatically responsive and respecting
vernacular traditions.

15-18 October 2014
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Whether it is toxic effluent from factories flowing into neighbouring rivers, tons of trash dumped il-legally
and then igniting to release toxic fumes, or human waste deposited along the streets of cities
or towns – waste is a daunting challenge facing today’s India. Fortunately there is hope, springing
up like wildflowers in small instances throughout the country.
Auroville’s efforts in waste management, including its prevention and treatment, contribute in part to
these solutions.
Facilitator:
Lucas is a doctor trained in medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. He has over fourteen years ex-perience
in the fields of public hygiene with focus on public health related to environment. He coordinated
a Unicef program addressing water management in Tamil Nadu schools and has produced a number of
educational materials about sanitation and water management. He founded AuroAnnam, a business unit of
Auroville in 2000 to promote organic farming and ecological sanitation. He is also the founder of Eco-Pro, a
business unit specializing in EM (Effective Microorga

15-18 October 2014
ECOLOGICAL SANITATION
Ecological sanitation recognizes human excreta and water from households not as a waste
but as resources that can be recovered, treated where necessary, and safely used again. It
tries to minimize the reliance on external inputs like water while simultaneously reducing the
output of waste from the system. Composting and dry toilets are part of a wider ecological
sanitation effort. Urine diversion toilets prevent urine and faeces from getting mixed. These
toilets make it possible to manage urine, faeces or excreta with little or no water and to keep
potentially infectious waste products out of ground and surface waters. The demand for
wastewater treatment is reduced or eliminated. The urine and composted solid waste from
dry compost toilets can be returned to soils to restore fertility.
Facilitator:
Lucas is a doctor trained in medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. He has over fourteen years
experience in the fields of public hygiene with focus on public health related to environment. He coor-dinated
a Unicef program addressing water management in Tamil Nadu schools and has produced a
number of educational materials about sanitation and water management. He founded AuroAnnam, a
business unit of Auroville in 2000 to promote organic farming and ecological sanitation. He is also the
founder of Eco-Pro, a business unit specializing in EM (Effective Microorganisms) technology.

15-18 October 2014
DECENTRALISED SOLAR ENERGY
This is a presentation on Decentralised Solar PV technology, grid connected and off-grid connected.
Participants will be exposed to technological and practical knowledge details of installation pro-cesses
and applications.
Facilitator:
SunlitFuture is based in Auroville to pursue and facilitate research on alternative energy technologies and
products.Inspired by the goal of a sustainable world, they dedicate themselves to providing customized and
innovative renewable energy solutions to meet a variety of domestic, industrial and institutional requirements
for rural and urban India. They devote a lot of energy and attention to developing solutions and services for
remote areas of the subcontinent.

15-18 October 2014
SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENERGY
This workshop addresses sustainable urban energy solutions from a system’s perspective, as a
three-step process - energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Presenting a
global balance sheet on energy consumption Toine asks whether we can meet the consumption
of today and the future with renewable energy. The only way out would be a need for radical
decrease in consumption and a huge investment into renewable energy installations on a global
scale.
Facilitator:
Toine is a co-founder of Auroville Consulting and is involved in Auroville township infrastructure devel-opment,
energy planning and business management consultancy services. Previously, he held senior
management and corporate leadership positions in the global wind energy sector from 1996-2009
and has extensive experience in international business.

15-18 October 2014
GRID CONNECTED SOLAR
SYSTEM
This site visit to the Illaingarkal School will show the participants a pilot project of grid-connected
solar PV system.
Facilitator:
SunlitFuture is based in Auroville to pursue and facilitate research on alternative energy technologies and
products. Inspired by the goal of a sustainable world, they dedicate themselves to providing customized and
innovative renewable energy solutions to meet a variety of domestic, industrial and institutional requirements
for rural and urban India. They devote a lot of energy and attention to developing solutions and services for
remote areas of the subcontinent.

15-18 October 2014
VISITORS’ CENTRE
The core function of the Visitors’ Centre is to inform the visitors about the purpose of Auroville,
its spiritual and material aim with exhibitions and audio-visuals. The complex is also a demon-stration
centre for sustainable technologies such as appropriate building material and technolo-gies,
watershed management and landscaping with indigenous plants, renewable energies,
waste water recycling techniques etc.
Facilitator:
Suhasini Ayer-Guigan has over 20 years of experience in sustainable design, green building practices
and planning. She is the founder and principal architect of the Auroville Design Consultants. She is co-recipient
of the Hassan Fathy Award for ‘Architecture for the Poor’ in 1992 and recipient of the Design
Share Award for educational buildings in 2003 and 2005.

15-18 October 2014
EMBODIED ENERGY
Embodied energy is an accounting method which aims to find the sum total of the energy neces-sary
for an entire building life-cycle. The energy involved in the reclamation, the recycling, and the
manufacturing processes of building materials can all be precisely calculated. In fact, the embodied
energy of the building materials can serve well as a metric to reflect the sustainability of the materi-als.
This workshop will specifically focus and earth as building material and compare it in terms of
embodied energy to conventional building materials.
Facilitator:
Satprem Maini founded the Auroville Earth Institute in 1989 and has been developing, consulting, teaching
and promoting earthen building technologies and earthen architecture in several countries besides India. An
internationally acknowledged expert, he has been the representative for Asia of the UNESCO Chair “Earthen
Architecture, Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development” since 2000, he is also a consultant for
several United Nations programs and a member of the International Centre of Earth Construction and Indian
Society of Earthquake Technology (ISET). He studied at School of Architecture of Lyon (France)and holds a
masters degree in Earthen Architecture from the School of Architecture, Grenoble (France).

15-18 October 2014
SURFACE WATER CONTROL AND
RAIN
The notion of water in its tangible forms – rivers, lakes, coastlines – as a primary structuring element of
urban patterns has been a well-established one. This workshop investigates the role of water derived
from ecologically designed sensitivity, as the primary structure, governing the urban spatial relationships
in the city, and also highlighting its importance of establishing itself as an integral part of the urban and
city system. The workshop shall not only highlight the importance and techniques of sustainable water
management resource practices of traditional settlements but also discuss measures for the resurgence
of water management systems back into the urban process where it not only performs as an aesthetic
and urban model for the city but also acts as a functional and survival tactic in a rapidly urbanising con-dition
where increase demand of water is draining out its natural water resources.
Facilitator:
Mohan is an Environmental Design & Landscape architecture professional. He is a partner at Integrated De-sign
(INDE), a multi-disciplinary consultancy practice in regional planning, environmental design and landscape
architecture. Mohan is actively involved in master planning of existing & new settlements; ecological restora-tion/
conservation; impact assessment of natural disasters, management & reconstruction; resource assess-ment
& management; Conservation & site interpretation of world heritage sites.

15-18 October 2014
ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPING
Using plants indigenous plants in landscaping is a fascinating way of reintegrating nearly extinct
species into modern day society. This is a win-win situation it supports the conservation efforts of
rare endangered species and creates landscapes for recreation and relaxation.
Facilitator:
Paul Blanchflower has over twenty years of experience in forestry and landscaping. He arrived in Auroville
in 1991 from Scotland after graduating in Forestry and Ecology at Edinburgh University. He founded the
Auroville Botanical Gardens in 2000 that offers a variety of services for land management and landscaping.
He is currently engaged in developing the gardens with emphasis on environmental education for the local
school children. His recent projects include a resort landscape for Mahindra Hoildays, anda landscape for
the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chennai in addition to other projects in Kashmir, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

15-18 October 2014
PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPES
Urban gardening & farming increasingly assumes recognition as a means towards food security, recy-cling
of liquid and solid bio-wastes, improvement of air quality in cities, urban renovation, and mitigation
of negative climate change impact. The workshop will offer presentations highlighting different aspects
of urban gardening, functional aspects such as food crop production, stormwater control and thermal
control, as well as aesthetic aspects as seen in roof gardens, green roofs and green walls.
Facilitator:
Lucas is a doctor trained in medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. He has over fourteen years ex-perience
in the fields of public hygiene with focus on public health related to environment. He coordinated a
Unicef program addressing water management in Tamil Nadu schools and has produced a number of educa-tional
materials about sanitation and water management. He founded AuroAnnam, a business unit of Auroville
in 2000 to promote organic farming and ecological sanitation. He is also the founder of Eco-Pro, a business
unit specializing in EM (Effective Microorganisms) technology.

15-18 October 2014
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Tuesday - 29 April 2015
09:00 - 09:45 Site vist to Matrimandir Gardens
10:00 - 10:30 Introduction to Auroville
10:30 - 12:30 Principles of Design and evaluation process of Architecture
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 15:30 Participatory Design
15:30 - 16:00 Tea Break
16:00 - 17:00 Site visit to Visitors’ Centre
Wednesday - 30 April 2015
09:00 - 10:00 Climatology (Solar Passive Design)
10:00 - 10:30 Tea Break
10:30 - 12:30 Building materials: Introduction to Local Building Materials
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 15:30 Building materials:
Introduction to Earth Architecture
15:30 - 16:00 Tea Break
16:00 - 17:00 Site visit to Waste Water Treatment
Thursday - 1 May 2015
09:00 - 12:30 Energy: Introduction sustainable urban energy Solar PV Installations Embodied
Energy
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:30 Site visit to Grid Connected Solar
15:00 - 17:00 Waste: Ecological Sanitation Waste Management
Friday - 2 May 2015
09:00 - 12:30 Water: Introduction Surface Water Domestic Water Rain Water Harvesting
Decentralized Waste Water Treatment
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 15:00 Site visit to Botanical Gardens
15:00 - 17:00 Landscaping: Ecological Landscaping
Saturday - 3 May 2015
Optional day only with site visit to structures

15-18 October 2014
The cost for the workshop is Rs. 16,500 per person inclusive of lunch, dinner, materials and facilitation
for all activities, and all taxes. Accommodation costs are not included. All meals are vegetarian. Alcohol
is not permitted in Auroville guest houses.
Registration will be confirmed after receipt of the payment. We cannot refund your payment if you cannot
attend for any reason, but you can transfer your registration to another person in writing before 20th April
2015.
Registration will be closed once the limited capacity of 25 participants is filled. If a facilitator is unavail-able,
BOOKING A PROGRAM
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then we will substitute the relevant activity with a similar one.
In case of cancellation of the programme from our side, fees will be refunded within 10 days.
Payment can be made by online account transfer, Demand Draft or Cheque drawn in favour of Auroville
Consulting, payable at State Bank of India, Auroville branch.
To pay by cheque/demand draft, please courier your payment along with contact details to our postal
address given below.
LAST DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 25th April 2014
Shefali Mendon
Auroville Green Practices/Auroville Consulting
SaraCon Campus, Kottakarai Plaza,
Irumbai Post, Auroville 605111,
Tamil Nadu
Tel: + 0413 2622571
Email: info@agpworkshops.com

15-18 October 2014
ABOUT AUROVILLE
“Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace
and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to
realise human unity.”
Auroville is an international community with over 2000 people from around 40 different countries. Found-ed
in 1968, Auroville is based on the vision of The Mother and is endorsed by UNESCO and the Govern-ment
of India as an ongoing experiment in human unity.
Aurovillians are constantly experimenting with new ideas and solutions in areas of education, arts &
crafts, community building, new economy and sustainability. One of the unique aspects of research in
Auroville is the fact that many ideas are put into practice. Over the years, Auroville has won international
acclaim for its efforts in social and environmental sustainability.
Auroville is located 8km from Pondicherry, 3 hours drive from Chennai city/airport (150km) along the sce-nic
East Coast Road (ECR) and 8 hours by an AC sleeper bus from Bangalore (350km).
For more details visit: www.auroville.org

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