Clay ceilings
Burnt clay comes in as a handy material for constructing timberless roofs in rural housing projects in Wardha, Maharashtra
Tile tales
An innovative tile that could go a long way in reducing the cost of housing construction has been developed in the African country of Cote d'Ivoire
COVID-19 rekindles concerns on Kashmir’s infrastructure, social behaviour
Earthquakes, floods, conflict and COVID-19 pandemic have underlined the suitability of existing housing infrastructure in urban areas of Kashmir
Quaking, 1108 aftershocks later
The Indian plate is underthrusting the Eurasian plate by 4 to 5 centimetres a year. But our scientists move even slower. Are they waiting for the …
Safe as houses
Earthquakes don't kill; badly built houses do. A look into houses in India that have withstood several earthquakes
Delhi’s (and India’s) urban poor may have houses to live. But are they habitable
The habitability of housing, rather than just its availability, will be an important factor in the future, given the trends in climate change
What Nigerian cities can learn from the rest of the world
The rapid rate of urban population growth, fuelled by massive rural to urban migration, has overwhelmed public sector resources in the country
The more Asians migrate to cities, the more it will help tigers, says study
Researchers from a prominent non-profit feel that Asia's increasing urbanisation and rapid demographic transition could mean that tiger range …
Doing away with wood
In Niger and Mali, where timber is scarce and expensive, mud building is making a headway, thanks to the efforts of a French organisation called …
Eco-friendly building
BUILD YOUR HOUSE TO THE RHYTHM OF LIFE Vinoo Kaley Bliarat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha National Organising Council
Unfriendly neighbourhoods
In their rush to meet the housing requirements of cities, planners are turning a blind eye to the quality of the built environment
COVID-19: What it is to ‘work from home’ for women waste-pickers
Most housing units in Bhalaswa village have not been upgraded to support informal waste work. This impacts women’s productivity, …
Where will these railway track dwellers of Delhi live after eviction
Already living in filth, misery, disease and hunger, will they now be deprived of the only places they call home?
Zurich is world’s most sustainable city, according to a new index
100 global cities were ranked according to their performance on three parameters—people, planet and profit
Earthquakes don't kill, our collapsing structures do
The evidence from Italy and other earthquakes is damning: structures are not generally earthquake-proof
Mud housing is the key
Mud's low cost and malleability makes it an ideal building material. But its use can be popularised only if such drawbacks as its …
Out in the cold
It is possible to design buildings that stay cool in summer and warm in winter and save energy. But interest in solar passive architecture …
Living problems
HOUSING THE URBAN POOR POLICY AND PRACTICE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Edited by Brian C Aldrich& Ravinder S Sandhu-Vistaar Vistaar Publications …
Sun city
Architectural features that eliminate artificial heating or cooling of a building are becoming de rigeur
Access to drinking water, power has improved in slum areas, says slum census report
63.5 per cent slum dwellers in Indian cities have mobile phone connections, but only 19 per cent have toilets
What caused Morocco’s earthquake? A geologist studying the Atlas mountains explains
Steep slopes of the mountains and the straight lines where the Earth’s crust has cracked suggest that there has been recent movement in the …
Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why
With natural disasters intensifying, governments must find ways to offer flexible housing support
Sinking cities: Two ways to fight land subsidence
Artificial recharge and deep soil mixing are two techniques showing promise in rescuing sinking cities
Why innovative cool roofing is becoming popular among Ahmedabad’s urban poor
The city’s residents strategically use shade, ventilation and building materials to keep their homes comfortable; and it does not cost the earth
Divine dwellings
An organisation set up by priests provides inexpensive bamboo houses to people living in slums and on the streets