Each and every detail of the residential/commercial complex/institution that you
wish to build has already been decided; right up to the way it should look and
what you should build it with. So if you want to make your compound wall, take
your pick from among the three options available at the Chief Architect’s
office. Perhaps, ‘God’ (as Mr. Le Corbusier is reverently addressed among
architects) is correct in his vision. But, in the consumerist society of today,
where options and more options is a way to better living, a contradiction ever
so painful would have to be accepted if it wasn’t for a group of radical
individuals. These radicals are - Siddharta & Anant, architects who run an
office called ‘the Elements’ and the Saupin family, with Christopher and
Pierre Saupin. The Saupins have been running schools in Chandigarh, Mohali and
Panchkula. In Chandigarh, they have been operating from rented buildings
situated at different parts of the city. When they decided to construct the
school building at sector-32A, they decided that they would build not just
another typical school building but one that would stand out to express their
own ecological concern, and also become the talk of the town for obvious
commercial concerns.The school, having a built-up area of about 8,000 square feet, is designed to accommodate 18 classrooms with teachers’ room, and other utilities such as rest rooms and toilets around the two courtyards.
The CEB module of the building materials project had selected the region of Chandigarh / Poanta Sahib as one of its focus regions for the commercialization of Compressed Earth Block Technology. The opportunity that was presented to the team was obviously one that the team did not want to miss. The building material project team was marshaled to offer technical support to the project.
The key elements in the construction were Compressed Earth Blocks (Hydraform blocks stabilized with 7% cement) and Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles. The CEBs were produced at site by using Hydraform machines. A local entrepreneur - M/s Vishwakarma Industries, manufactured the MCR Tiles. Amazingly enough, the whole building was completed with in 41 days to meet the deadline of reopening of the school. The project would not have been completed without the strong support and conviction of the owners, the Saupins, who finally pushed the project for sanction as a temporary structure from the authorities. Due credit also goes to the contractor Mr. Amarjeet Singh, the DA team and every one associated with the project.
The project today stands as a testimony to the committed belief of the people involved that it is time for things to change.
