Multi-storey building of Costford architecture firm at Mannanthala constructed primarily using Bamboo, in Thiruvananthapuram.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Bamboo used for construction of ceiling of the multi-storey building of Costford architecture firm at Mannanthala, in Thiruvananthapuram.
| Photo Credit:
At first glance, the building doesn’t appear to be particularly tall. A closer look, however, reveals that it rises up from a drop in elevation; it’s the third floor that is on a level with the road outside. Bamboo grills and a sloping Kerala-style roof are among the first things that catch the eye. Inside, the building offers a master-class in sustainable architecture.In Thiruvananthapuram city where concrete buildings are fast crowding out green spaces, the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (Costford) – the institution which traces its origins to former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon, the master architect Laurie Baker and the economist K.N. Raj – is presenting an alternative with its soon-to-be-inaugurated five-storey T.R. Chandradutt Centre for Alternative Technology.The 11,500 sq ft structure at Mannanthala stands on a concrete frame, but the walls are wattle-and-daub with a bamboo envelope. Treated bamboo, in fact, makes up about 50% of the construction material. Recycled and salvaged materials account for almost everything else, doors and windows included.A government-accredited agency for executing public works, Costford is renowned for its eco-friendly, low-cost ‘Baker model’ buildings with their distinctive exposed brickwork. The new centre is meant as a memorial to Chandradutt, a social activist and one of the Costford founders. Then Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had laid the foundation stone for it in February 2021.
