SELF-STUDY REPORT

Sourav Singh
15BAL024
Content

• Introduction

• The mother- Mirra Alfassa

• Philosophical Foundation

• Genesis

• Design and Implementation

• Matrimandir

• Construction and Material

Understanding the building techniques practiced in infrastructure features

• Live Building Studies

• Governing Bodies

• Problems Identified

• Suggestions
AUROVILLE
Tamil Nadu, India

When mind is still, then truth

gets her chance to be heard

in the purity of silence.

-Sri Aurobindo-
 Auroville is located in
Vanur Taluk, Villuppuram
district, in the state of Tamil
Nadu. The centre of
Auroville is located at a
distance of 150 km, south
of Chennai, 12km. North of
Puducherry, around 7 km,
from east coast road and
5km from NH66 (Tindivinam
highway). The Vanur Block
is one of 22 blocks in the
Villupuram-Ramasamy
Padiyachar District in Tamil
Nadu, south. This block, located along the Corromandel Coast covers 45 000
square kilometres. The Vanur Block is an approximately contiguous watershed;
and this ‘bio region ‘can be defined by the large marsh, Kaluveli Tank, to the
north, the Bay Bengal to the east, Pondicherry City to the south, and Ousteyri
Lake to the west. The “outlying lands “are located within a 7 km. radius from the
centre Auroville, and include the following village Panchayats. Population of
Auroville consisting of resident - Aurovilians has increased from 320 in 1972 to 676
in 1980; presently it is 2400. Development of the Auroville Township and the
growth of its surrounding region are linked to each other inextricably. Over the
last decade, the Puducherry region (including the districts of Viluppuram and
Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu) has witnessed a significant increase in population,
reflected by the growth rate of nearly 20 percent between 2091 and 2011.
The mother- MIRRA ALFASSA
The French born Mitra Alfassa, who found
Auroville in 1968, was among these. After
visiting Sri Aurobindo in 1914, she returned in
1920 to support Sri Aurobindo in his vision and
practice of Integral Yoga. Taking on all of the
practical aspects of managing the people
who flocked to be near the increasingly
recluse Sri Aurobindo, she became known as
"The Mother," and established Sri Aurobindo
Ashram in 1927 – a residential, spiritual
homestead for those who wished to devote
themselves to a spiritual life of practice.
Following Sri Aurobindo's passing in 1950 (three
years after India achieved independence on his birthday, 15 August) the Mother
registered the Sri Aurobindo society under the Societies Registration Act with the
aim of promoting the ideals of Integral Yoga and the "attainment of a
spiritualised society as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo," in 1960.

"There should be somewhere on earth a place which no nation could claim as its own,
where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as
citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme Truth."

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION
In 1954, Mirra Alfassa also known as the mother, published her well-known text ‘A
Dream’. In it she described “a place shares the relations among human beings,
usually based almost exclusively upon competition and strife, would be
replaced by relations of emulation for doing better”, for collaboration relations
of real brotherhood. She envisioned Auroville as a universal township, to give
concrete form to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy of human unity and evolution.
However, just as mind emerged out of life the ‘super mind’ that the perfection
dreamed of by mankind can manifest.

Once the project of Auroville gained

support and sponsorship from the
Indian government and UNESCO
architects started designing the
dream city ln barren and arid land
located in Tamil Nadu, India. Lead
notes, “The mother argued that for
Auroville to live up to its mandate to
find loving solutions to global
problems to locate it in the midst of
severe environmental and social problems was appropriate an opportunity.
Locating it in a developed country would leave so much undone.”

GENESIS
On 28 February 1968, for the inauguration ceremony of Auroville,127
representatives from
124 nations and 23
Indian states placed
handfuls of earth from
their native lands in an
urn situated at the
centre of the township.
It symbolized the
creation of the city and
its goal of human unity.
On this day, the mother read in French the aspiration of the ideal city in the four-
point ‘charter of Auroville’:
 • Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.
• Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to love in Auroville
one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
• Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant
progress, and a youth that never ages.
• Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future.
• Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within,
Auroville will boldly spring towards future realizations.
• Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living
embodiment of an actual human unity.

The city is being planned and designed to house 50,000 inhabitants from around
the world. At present Auroville is an emerging township of over 2400 residents,
representing 49 countries from all age groups, social backgrounds and cultures.
130 (NB: Though established in India, two-third of Aurovilians are non-Indians).
The charter identifies Auroville as a place for endless learning and
experimentation (at all levels- individual, collective, academic, social,
economic and spiritual). This gives Aurovilians abundant freedom and scope to
excel internally and externally. The former involves discovering and fulfilling their
individual spiritual goals and ideals in the material existence. The latter involves
building and developing the township and also trying to practice the ideals of
the charter in reality.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

(THE CITY, PRECINCT, NEIGHBOURHOOD AND IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS)

The Mother appointed Roger Anger, a French architect, to design the city,
based on her original 1965 conception. The city is designed in the shape of the
spiral galaxy divided into 4 zones radiating out of the Matrimandir. The
International, Cultural, residential and Industrial.

• The international zone is the nucleus of

global human unity and the site for national
and cultural pavilion of the world. As of now
the Indian and Tibetan pavilions have been
built. Other active pavilion groups include
Africa house, the house of Americas, Asian
Unity, the European Plaza, the
Mediterranean Space, as well as those of
Scandinavia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan,
Kazakhstan, Korea, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, US and the
pavilion if Chinese culture 133 these 24 pavilion representations aim to help
individuals become aware of the core genius of the respective countries and
simultaneously understand and
respect the genius of others.
• The cultural zone serves as a
place for continuous education
and comprises institutions and
research centre related to
education, arts and sports.
• The residential zone consists of
the residential community buildings,
meeting spaces, creches, a health
centre and the other utility needs.
• Finally, the industrial zine facilities Aurovilleʼs economic development, limited to
manufacturing services and other eco-friendly industries.

Spread across the zones, the Auroville community currently encompasses over
one hundred settlements(sub-communities). Around these zones lies the green
belt -the environmental research and sustainable rural development area that
includes farms, diaries, forestry, a botanical garden, medicinal and herbal
plantations, water management stations and bio-reserves. As for the activities of
community members, they engage in educational research, small scale
industries, village development, community services, healthcare, organic
agriculture, water management administration and cultural activities.

MATRIMANDIR
Unlike most cities, the heart of Auroville is not a

boisterous or chaotic centre, but a ‘Peace

zone’ and place of quietude and harmony. In it

stands Matrimandir, the ‘soul of the city’: a

large golden sphere - like structure symbolising

the worth of a new consciousness.

Matrimandir means the ‘temple of the

mandir ‘. According to Sri Aurobindo, the
‘mother’ concepts stand for the great

evolutionary, conscious and

intelligent principle of life, the
Universal Mother - which seeks
human progress beyond present
limitations into “the next step of it
evolutionary adventure, the
supramental consciousness.” 131
in the globe is an inner chamber for meditation, the middle of which is a crystal
ball (of 70cm diameter). Vrekhem describes the crystal as projecting “a ray of
light directly into the core of your being, in a harmonious room of material purity-
one can give all kinds of interpretation to it or simply undergo the unworldly
beauty of the place. The Matrimandir cannot be explained. “

Significance of these twelve gardens as a whole:

Though the Mother did not say it explicitly these gardens as a whole seem to
represent what the Mother calls “the twelve Powers of the Mother manifested
for her work”.

Sri Aurobindo explained that these “12 powers are the vibrations that are
necessary for the complete manifestation”.

It is probably because “the manifestation” is not yet “complete” and all these
powers and vibrations haven’t “manifested” fully as yet that the Mother said
that these twelve gardens must “be an expression of that consciousness
which we are trying to bring down”. This explains also why the architect keeps
on stressing that these gardens will evolve with the consciousness of the
Aurovilians.
CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS

UNDERSTANDING THE BUILDING TECHNIQUES PRACTICED IN

INFRASTRUCTURE FEATURES:
● Compressed earth blocks

● Ferro cement

● Wattle and Daub with wooden shingles

● Domes and Vaults in brick

● Vaulted roof with terracotta tubes

● Rammed earth walls

● Roofing with terracotta hollow blocks

● Filler slab with terracotta pots

● Precast rafters and tiled roof

i. COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS

Compressed earth blocks are small masonry elements, parallel piped in shapes,
but the common dimensions of which differ from those of hand-moulded earth
blocks or of fired bricks and vary depending on the type of specially developed
presses or moulds used. Two mains criteria must, however, be taken into
account when determining a compressed earth blocks and dimensions, which
should above all be suited to
the great degree of flexibility
in use which is one of the
great qualities of this building
material. These are:

● On the one hand the

weight of the block bearing
in mind that they are solid
blocks which

are principally used in

masonry,

● On the other hand, the work (or nominal) dimensions of length (l), width (w)
and height

(h) which will determine bonding patterns. For this reason, as a rule, compressed
earth

block production has mainly used dimensions consistent with a unit weight in the
order

of 6 to 8 kg and with the possibility of buildings walls 15, 30 or 45 cm thick.

There are 4 main families of blocks.

● Solid blocks these are mainly prismatic in shape. They fulfil very widely differing
function.

● Hollow blocks generally the voids of hollow blocks account for a total of 5 to
10%, and to

30% using sophisticated techniques. Voids can improve the adherence of the
mortar and

reduce the weight of the block.

● Certain hollow blocks can be used to build ring-beams.

● Perforated blocks these are light but required fairly sophisticated moulds and
greater

compressive force. They are suitable for reinforced masonry (in earthquake
areas).

● Interlocking blocks these can be assembled without mortar, but they require

sophisticated moulds and highly compressive force. They are often used for non-
load

bearing structures.

ASPECTS OF UTILISATION

● The position of the compressed earth block relative to other masonry materials
can be

established according to aspects of use of the material.

● Technical aspects its mechanical, static, hydrous, physical etc characteristics.

● Economic aspects unit production cost, capital investment, etc.

● Health and safety aspects the emission of dangerous fumes, radioactivity etc.

● Psychological aspects the nature of the material, surface texture, color,

shape,

luminosity, etc

● Ecological aspects deforestation, the hollowing out of hillsides as a result of

quarrying,
use of water and energy sources, production of pollution and waste material
etc.

● Social aspects economic and social spin-off resulting from job creation, socio-
cultural

acceptability, etc.

● Institutional aspects legislation, insurance, norms, development policies linked

to the

setting up of productive industries, etc.

ii. FERRO CEMENT

Ferro cement is a type of thin wall reinforced concrete, commonly constructed

of hydraulic cement mortar, reinforced with closely spaced layers of continuous
and relatively small size wire mesh may be made of metallic or other suitable
materials.

o Cement mortar is reinforced with layers of continuous and small diameter

wire mesh
o Mortar provides the mass and wire mesh imparts tensile strength and
ductility
o Italian engineer Pier Liugie Nervi is credited with inventing Ferro cement in
the 1940' s
MATERIALS USED IN FERRO CEMENT

o Cement mortar mix

o Skeleton steel
o Steel mesh reinforced or Fibre-reinforced polymeric meshes

CEMENT MORTAR MIX

● OPC and fine aggregate

matrix is used

● The matrix constitutes 95% of

the composite and governs
its behaviour

● FA (sand), occupies 60 to 75%

of the volume of the mortar

● Plasticizers and other

admixtures are used

MIX PROPORTIONS

● Sand: cement ratio (by mass)

1.5 to 2.5

● Water: cement ratio (by mass)

0.35 to 0.60

SKELETON STEEL

● Forms the skeleton of the structure

● 3 to 8 mm steel rods are used

● Used in the form of tied reinforcement or welded wire fabric

● Used to impart structural strength in case of boats, barges etc

● Reinforcement should be free from dust, rust and other impurities

STEEL MESH REINFORCEMENT

● Consists of galvanised steel wires of diameter 0.5 to 1.5 mm, spaced at 6

to 20 mm

centre to centre.
 ● Available as woven/Interlocking mesh and welded mesh.

● Welded wire mesh has hexagonal or rectangular openings.

● Expanded-metal lath is also used.

● Made from carbon, glass etc.

iii. WATTLE AND DAUB WITH WOODEN SHINGLES

The wattle is made
by weaving thin
branches (either
whole, or more
usually spilt) or slat
between upright
stakes. The wattle
may be made in
place to form the
whole of a wall. In
different regions, the
material of wattle can be different.

Daub is usually created form a mixture of ingredients from three categories:

binders aggregates and reinforcement. Binders hold the mix together and can
include clay, lime, chalk dust and limestone dust. Aggregates give the mix it's
bulk and dimensional stability through materials, and helps to hold the mix
together as well as to control shrinkage
and provide flexibility.

The daub may be mixed by hand, or

by treading either by number or
livestock. It is then applied to wattle
and allowed to dry, and often then
white washed to increase its resistance to rain. Sometimes there can be more
than one layer of daub.

iv. DOMES AND VAULTS IN BRICK

MASONRY VAULTS
In historic masonry building, vaults are used as
proof or floor to enclose space. The strength of a
vault depends on how the units forming the vault
are assembled. The construction of a vault may
be of arch assembles, each arch leaning back
against the previous one or enchantment of
masonry units making a continuous vault surface.
In either case, due to their three-dimensional
extension, they have great strength in distributing
imposed loads laterally. Although the vault forms
look similar, the surfaces that constitute a vault
may have different characteristics. The behaviour
of each surface is different the form is cylindrical, comic, torus, conoid or elliptic
parabolic. These are singly or doubly curved surface. Singly curved vault
surface, cylindrical and conic surface are singly curved surfaces where one of
the principals is curve, like and arch, and the other is straight line.

VAULTS- SINGLY CURVED

A cylindrical surface is
a translational surface
where a curve profile,
generated, moves
parallel to itself, along
a line, directrix. It is as if
an arch extended
laterally. Such a
surface is masonry
building is called
simple barrel vault. The
rising profile
constituting the surface may be circular, parabolic, elliptic, pointed or derived
from any other kind of a curve.
So, one of the principle curvatures of this surface will always be a circular. In
singly curved vault surfaces, the principle stresses along the curve will always be
compressive and the inclined thrusts at edge require enough mass of supporting
system.

The behaviour of such vault depends upon its supports condition. If the vault is
supported continuously along it's longitudinal axis, it's behaves like a series of
independent arches parallel to one another and principle stresses on the
surface will be one directional.

TYPES OF MASONRY DOMICAL VAULTS

To span over rectangular bays, the vault domes or rotational surfaced domes
were used in historical structures. The vault domes were obtained with the
intersection of vaults as cloister vault and groin vault or with ribbed domes.

CLOISTER VAULT GROIN VAULT RIBBED VAULT

Cloister vault is
formed by the
intersection of
two or more
vaults forming a
ridge at the
intersection.
Composition of a
cloister vault may
be of one of the
vault surfaces or
may be
composed of
different forms. No matter how it is compressed, each surface carriers its own
characteristics.

Groin vault is obtained by the intersection of the two or more cylindrical of two
or more cylindrical vaults forming diagonal arches over the space to be
covered. So, instead of continuous boundaries, they have widely spaces corner
supports. The open periphery of the groin vault necessitates a stiffener as an
arch or a quadrant dome.

Buttressing forces are required to stabilize these diagonal ribs. When they are
aligned one after another, the components of the thrusts are cancelled outs by
equals thrusts in adjacent bays excepts the two ends. The ribbed vaults with
webs in between also bring all loads to separated points. The ribs that stiffen and
carry the web vaults act as a free-standing arch. The vault web between the
adjacent ribs behaves as groin vaults. The web vault's form may be of any vault
surface.

v. VAULTED ROOF WITH

TERRACOTTA TUBES
Roofing with guns tubes is a variation
of the vault and is achieved by
substituting the standard materials
used to execute the curve, instead of
voussoiring type masonry.

This method is unique since an element called 'guns tube' is used which consists
of tapering conical, burnt clay pipes adapting them to come together, socket
into one another and stacked in a curved form along the centring formwork. A
series of such arches make a barrel vault capable of withstanding considerable
loads. The top of the roof is given a later finish. After joints are filled and topped
with plaster, the roof becomes rigid and water proof, doing totally without steel
or timber. Air inside the hollow-tile proof protects from heat and old. It is
fabricated and ready for use within three days and requires no maintenance
having a life span of more than 50 years. Being light in weight these variations of
the vault roof is safe even in earthquake prone areas.

Due to all these

advantages, this
method has been
used, by various
architects in the
Auroville experiment.
This type is also
called 'warshaw
roof's incorporating a
centenary arch
profile, obtained via
suspension due to gravitational forces, which is more effective than a circle
segment. also, alternate bows are laid in reverse directions to each other such
that the tapering of the timbers or tubes opposes the adjacent row, in order to
reduce the gaps to the minimum.
Having applied 1:4cement
plaster the finishing of this roof
can be refined using a china
mosaic with broken glazes tile.
Aesthetically and economically
the viability of this roofing
technique is rather impressive
materials.

GUNA TILES

The most ingenious feature of the csv (Centre of Science for Villages) model is
the timber less roof or the ' Guna ' roof -- ' Guna ' in Telugu means a burnt clay
tapering pipe. Splitting this pipe into two results in semi-circular pan-like tiles.
These ' Guna s' can be socketed into one another, forming an arch over a
suitably curved shuttering. A series of such arches can make a barrel-shaped
vault which is capable of withstanding considerable loads. After the joints are
filled and topped with plaster, it becomes rigid and waterproof. The entire roof
does not incorporate any high tensile material like steel or timber. Following are
the advantages:

• Air inside the hollow-tiled roof protects from

heat and cold. A 10o temperature
difference is felt.
• Observed in slab roof and guns vault roof.
• It has no under structure, yet can bear
weight of 1000kg/m2.
• It is fabricated and ready for use within 3
days.
• Requires no maintenance and has life
span of more than 50 years.
• It is not affected by rain, hail or wind.
• Being light in weight. The vault roof is safe
even in earthquake.
• Even if the mud walls collapse, the roof remains intact residing on pillars
and beams.

vi. RAMMED EARTH WALLS

Rammed earth is a
technique used in the
building of the walls using the
raw materials of the earth,
chalk, lime and gravel. It is
an ancient building method
that has seen a revival in
recent years as people seek
more sustainable building
material and natural building methods. Rammed earth walls are simple to
construct, incombustible to water damage. Traditional, rammed earth binding
are found in every continent except Antarctica from the temperate and wet
regions of northern Europe to semi-dry deserts, mountains are and the tropics.

The compressive strength of rammed earth can be up to 4.3 Mpa. This is less
than that is a similar thickness of concrete, but more than strong enough for use
in domestic buildings. Indeed, properly built rammed earth can with stand loads
for thousands of years, a many still-standing ancient structures around the world
attest. Rammed earth using re-bar, wood or bamboo reinforcements can
prevent failure caused by earthquake or heavy storms.
vii. ROOFING WITH TERRACOTTA HOLLOW BLOCKS
Since the heat
gain from the roof
is the highest, if the
filler slab could be
done using hollow
materials, we get
multiple
advantages -
passive solar
cooling where the
voids reduce the heat transfer, lesser roof weights thanks to the
hollowness, different looks when seen from the room below, reduced
sound transmission between the floors thanks to the voids in between and
reduction of steel consumption considering greater distances between
them. Once the roof centring in complete, it is levelled by a layer of
stabilized mud or very weak cement mortar.
First the roof centring is complete, it is levelled by a layer of stabilized mud
or very weak cement mortar. First the roof blocks are placed end to end
as per the structural engineer design, placing them closely and
compactly. The minor gaps in between are sealed with the same lean
mortar to reduce curing water flowing down after the roof casting. A
layered of
thin steel
rods is
placed
onto top,
electric
conduits
are tied
and the
 roof is concreted as usual. The Hourdi block is also used as the hollow
material, which is produced by the Auram press 3000 is used to create
floors and roofs (available locally).

viii. FILLER SLAB WITH TERRACOTTA POTS

Filler slabs are the one cost-
effective roofing system which is
based on the concrete portions
and instead placing filler material
there.
The filler slab is based on the
principle that for roofs which are
simply supported, the upper part
of the slab is subjected to
compressive forces and the lower
part of the slab experience tensile
forces.
Concrete is very good in
withstanding compressive forces and steel bears the load due to tensile
forces. Thus, the lower tensile region of the slab does not need any
concrete except for holding steel reinforcements together.
The filler
slabs result in
fewer loads
getting
transferred
to the load-
bearing walls
and the
foundations.
The air gap
in between
 the tiles makes it a good heat insulator and the ceiling looks attractive as
well. Moreover, the filler slab also provides insulation (Compared to
conventional RCC slab) from the hot climate outside the building,
providing thermal comfort to the user.
Materials used: Bricks, tiles, cellular concrete blocks, pots, waste bottles,
etc.

The following points to be kept in mind for filler material selection:

• Filler material should be inert in nature, shouldn’t react with concrete or

steel in RCC slab constructed.
• Filler material water
absorption should be
checked for as it will soak
the hydatic water from
concrete.
• Filler material should be of a
size and cross-section,
which can be
accommodate within the
spacing of the
reinforcement and also
thickness wise could be
accommodated within
cross-section of the slab.
• Filler material texture should
match with the desired
ceiling finish requirements so
as not to provide an ugly
ceiling pattern.
 Insulating the roof top with inverted earthen pot is an easy and cost-effective method to reduce solar gain. The
roof is covered by inverted earthen pots, the top of earthen pot can be covered with a layer of earth or lime
mortar finish or can be left uncovered also. Earthen pots painted with white paints further reduce the heat load.

LIVE BUILDING STUDIES

VISITORS CENTER, AUROILE

• Type of building use: Institutional building for visitors to Auroville.

• Year of completion: 1988- on going.
• Built-up area: Presently about 5000 m2 but constantly developing due to
growing demand.
• Plot size: 3 acres.
• Location: Auroville International zone Auroville.
• Climate zone: Hot Humid
coastal zone.
• Actual Occupancy:
Normal days 2,000
visitors/day and over
10000 visitors during
holidays and weekends
It is a popular and pleasant complex specifically designed for visitors from all
over the world, with the local climate, materials and building skills influencing the
design. Special emphasis has been placed on natural lighting and ventilation in
the building, as renewable energy sources were to be used. From the outset, the
plan for the building was to limit the use of concrete and steel. Prefabricated
ferro cement elements were for all doors and overhangs, thereby doing away
with the use of wood. A 4n grid using load-bearing pillars and arched or
corbelled openings was made with stabilized compressed earth blocks to
reduce costs. Stabilized earth blocks for domes and prefabricated ferro cement
channels were considered as the best solution for roofing.
SALIENT FEATURES

• Integrated site planning for effective management of surface and roof

runoff to recharge the aquifer.
• Landscaping with indigenous "tropical deciduous evergreen forest "-
reduced water needs.
 • Decentralized recycling of all waste water including black o urban
agriculture to grow fruits. Solid waste management with
segregation/recycling/compositing.
• Wind mill for water pumping.
• Use of appropriate building materials and technology like CSEB/ferro
cement/rammed earth/light roofing/natural stone floors/ minimum wood
use.
• Solar passive design; natural ventilation/lighting/solar chimneys.
• Energy efficient fixtures for lighting appliances.
• Reclamation and
afforestation.

GOLCONDA HOUSE (The First Modernist Building in India)

It’s a block of high, obscure concrete walls. No name, no signage, just a
wooden door with a tiny lotus symbol engraved on it. We walked in, left my
shoes at a rack, felt the soles of my feet on the cool stone floors, and looked
upon Golconde. The first reinforced concrete construction in India, beautifully
aligned to the tropical climate, built not just to house the disciples of a spiritual
guru but also to enhance their meditative experience. It was the Mother who
envisioned Golconde as a home for members of the community, and
contacted Tokyo-based Czech architect Antonin Raymond to design it.

Raymond wrote, “the purpose of the dormitory was not primarily the housing of the
disciples; it was the creating of an activity, the materialization of an idea, by which the
disciples might learn, might experience, might
develop, through contact with the erection of
a fine building.”

SPACES

▪︎ 3 Floors with a semi-basement

▪︎ Number of rooms: 51

▪︎ Room Area: 22m^2

▪︎ Total Built up Area: 600m^2 on each

floor

▪︎ Plot Area: 2324m^2

▪︎ FAR: 0.774

▪︎ Orientation: Longer side facing 20°E of

South

▪︎ Provisions of filtered water and hot water

LAYOUT

▪︎Long side facing ESE at an angle to the street.

▪︎ Western sun is shut off.

▪︎Gardens are attractively laid out and being enclosed, become cloistered with
cool and green ambience free from noise and dust.

STRUCTURE

▪︎ Independent column footing in high strength R.C.C. with all concrete surfaces
left from finished without plaster.

▪︎ Vertical are correct within 3 mm off

the plumb giving perfect but joints.

▪︎ Roof and stabs are laid on brick

partition walls and cantilevered for
corridors.

▪︎ R.C.C roof with pre-cast curved tiles

on the top with a ventilated air space over the deck.

DOORS

▪︎ Rooms are separated from the corridor by sliding

doors that allow air to circulate freely when open.
They have staggered slats which allow vents even
the doors are closed.

▪︎Topmost part of all doors is a skylight with sliding

glass panes which also allow for the wind
movement.

WALLS

East and west walls are plastered with a highly

reflective lime plaster and have no openings except
at the end of the corridors. Partition walls are made of
the bricks with special chettinad plaster (carefully
mixing eggs with sea shell lime in adequate
proportions depending upon the requirements, also,
used at the final stage in the extensive process of wall finishing)
 WATERPROOFING

▪︎Five layers of Ruberoid waterproofing felt and

sealants were used. They were imported by the
Parry and Co. of Chennai.

▪︎First layer of the felt was kept loose over the

deck and anchored only at the perimeter to
provide for thermal expansion.

-An essential idea in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy

of Integral Yoga is that we all have the
capacity to create a spiritually conscious life
within the limitations of an earthly human
existence. In its ascetic simplicity, unity of
materials, removal of anything that is not
essential to the life within, harmony of the interior and exterior, Golconde
emerges as an example of an architecture that makes you more aware of your
body, your movements, and thoughts. In the body of a building, it is possible to
experience a spiritual moment.

GOVERNING BODY
The Governing Board consists of seven members to be nominated by the
Central Government from amongst persons who have,
• rendered valuable service to Auroville;
• dedicated themselves to the ideals of life-long education synthesis of
material and spiritual researches or human unity;
• contributed significantly in activities that are being pursued or are envisaged
to be promoted in Auroville, including activities relating to the environment,
afforestation, arts and crafts, industry, agriculture, humanities, sciences and
integral yoga;
and of two representatives of the Central Government itself.
The members, who do not live in Auroville, hold office for a period of 4 years.
The Governing Board meets at least twice a year in Auroville.
The present members:
The Central Government, vide Ministry of Human Resource Development’s
dated 29 June 2017, nominated new members of the Governing Board
including its Chairman for a fourth term of four years with the following
members:

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED
As every other system, Auroville has its own downsides and defects along with
the pros:

• Becoming an Aurovilians requires you to donate all your assets to

Ashram (I have heard from the local peoples that, if you don’t give
something, they ain’t going to take you in)
• They will give you three things “FOOD, JOB and SHELTER”, you must
adjust with what you get.
• You can’t question the system or the authority.
• You will lose your CIVIL RIGHTS.
• Auroville says that it’s a community run by volunteers. But even if you
stay there for two days, you will notice that all the real work is being
done by working class Indians. From serving, to housekeeping, to
cleaning and so on who are drawing salaries for their service.
• A lot of Auroville is really to attract Europeans. And most come
loaded. They spend leisure time away from 1st world problems. And
really believe/have bought into the life of leisure, and ‘self -
sustenance’ in a way.
• Hospitals, with so many people coming in and out. It’s a matter of
wonder though how a place can sustain itself, without really having a
good-fully equipped hospital in vicinity. There is a health centre, but I
really wonder what do people do when in emergency?

SUGGESTIONS
• Anyone who so ever is coming to Aurovilians needs some asset for future
purposes and a person can not practically sustain only on FOOD, JOB
AND SHELTER.
• Aurovilians should encourage the people from the nearby village to
develop with them regarding any field of work.
• Personally, I think, there was huge amount of superstitious belief of “the
mother” in the mind of most of the Aurovilians!
• There are many minutes yet delicate points which were fishy in Auroville,
but there is no one who can come up with proper explanation of why
and how Auroville is working and sustaining in this current economy.

• Lastly, if you go looking for ‘what’s hidden’ in Auroville, or what’s

‘bad’ about the place – I assure you there is plenty – just like any
other place. And yet, I do feel that it’s a unique space – away from
the usual urbanisation (although not completely) yet, it’s an effort.
And its flawed – as anything human. If you do visit it, do make the
most of it. There is a lot of good there too. I hope you find it…

Thank You