Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development

Last updated

Centre of Science and Technology For Rural Development (COSTFORD) is a Thrissur city-based organisation that gives technological assistance to people in alternative building technology. The organization strives to change the social, economic and political position of the poor by providing low-cost and eco-friendly housing technology using participatory, transparent and gender-sensitive processes. COSTFORD's headquarters are in Thrissur, and it operates from another 15 sub-centers, 14 in Kerala and 1 in Gurgaon. [1]

Contents

History

The organisation was founded Laurie Baker, British-born Indian architect ; C. Achutha Menon, the former Chief Minister of Kerala; Dr K. N. Raj, an economist and Dr T. R. Chandradutt. [2] [3] [4] [5] COSTFORD was registered as a non-profit voluntary organization in 1984 and started its construction activities in 1986. After their formation, COSTFORD undertook a socio-economic survey in 3 different panchayats in Kerala and realized that there was a need for cost-effective housing. Hence, in 1987, they took up the housing scheme that was launched by the then district collector, which was a full subsidy scheme for the construction of core houses within a budget of 9200 rupees per house for beneficiaries who were below the poverty line. This scheme was completed entirely using the alternative technologies promoted by Laurie baker and paved the way for COSTFORD for acquiring further such projects. Since then, COSTFORD has come a long way with numerous buildings of all types including institutional buildings, housing schemes, private residences etc. to their credit.

In 1996, the state government launched the decentralized planning scheme under the name of the People's Planning Campaign. COSTFORD was selected to implement the total housing scheme in the district of Thrissur, along with the Nirmiti Kendra and in Trivandrum along with Habitat Technology group and the Nirmiti Kendra. Till date COSTFORD has been able to construct 15,000 building through this project. Some of the project areas include the tribal hills of Attapady where they are in charge of 5 hamlets, the Thankasheri fishing village with 158 houses, all constructed with different plans and the rehabilitation of Chengal Chulah slums, the biggest slum in Trivandrum.

The office of the Trivandrum sub-center is currently headed by Mr. Sajan and his wife Mrs. Shailaja, who is an architect. They are assisted by a team of architects, engineers and trainees along with the administrative staff who look after the accounts and the normal functioning of the office. [6] T.R. Chandradutt, who was the director of COSTFORD for 34 years, died on 20 March 2018 after a long battle with heart disease and cancer.

Methods

COSTFORD uses a variety of techniques that were pioneered by Laurie Baker, including rat trap bond walls, filler slab roofing, brick jalli, patch-pointing, and exposed brickwork. COSTFORD strongly believes in preservation of the environmental resources and promotes the use of energy-efficient materials and which minimize the use of energy-intensive materials such as cement, steel, and glass. They use fired bricks or mud blocks stabilized with lime and rice husks for masonry. They also experiment with renewable building materials such as bamboo, which they use as reinforcement for the foundations with lime concrete or for slabs where they use bamboo as an exposed form with concrete on top. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram</span> Metropolis in Kerala, India

Thiruvananthapuram, also known by its former name Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thrissur</span> Metropolis in Kerala, India

Thrissur, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and the 21st largest in India. The city is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkaadu Maidaanam which seats a large Hindu Shiva Temple. It is located central of the state, and 304 kilometres (189 mi) north-west of the state's capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. Thrissur was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin, and was a point of contact for the Assyrians, Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.

Laurie Baker Indian architect

Lawrence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and designs that maximized space, ventilation and light and maintained an uncluttered yet striking aesthetic sensibility. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his own experiences in the remote Himalayas, he promoted the revival of regional building practices and use of local materials; and combined this with a design philosophy that emphasized a responsible and prudent use of resources and energy. He was a pioneer of sustainable architecture as well as organic architecture, incorporating in his designs even in the late 1960s, concepts such as rain-water harvesting, minimizing usage of energy-inefficient building materials, minimizing damage to the building site and seamlessly merging with the surroundings. Due to his social and humanitarian efforts to bring architecture and design to the common man, his honest use of materials, his belief in simplicity in design and in life, and his staunch Quaker belief in non-violence, he has been called the "Gandhi of architecture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of Engineering, Trivandrum</span> Government Engineering College in Trivandrum

The College of Engineering Trivandrum, commonly known as CET, is the first engineering college in Kerala, situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. It was founded in 1939 during the reign of the Travancore King, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

C. Achutha Menon Former chief minister of Kerala

Chelat Achutha Menon was the Chief Minister of Kerala state for two terms. The first term was from 1 November 1969 to 1 August 1970 and the second 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977. He was instrumental in starting number of institutions and development projects in Kerala. Achutha Menon was the first politician who adorned the chief ministership of Kerala for two consecutive terms. He led the then United Front to a thumping electoral victory in Kerala when Congress party was routed in elections in other parts of India.

Architecture of Chennai Architectural style

Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Tamil temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style of the colonial era, to 20th-century steel and chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">InfoPark, Kochi</span> IT Park situated in Kochi, India

Infopark, Kochi is an information technology park situated in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. Established in 2004 by the Government of Kerala, the park is spread over 260 acres (105.2 ha) of campus across two phases, housing 541 companies which employ more than 62,500 professionals as of 2022.

DakshinaChitra is a living-history museum in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south of Chennai. Opened to the public on 14 December 1996, the museum was founded and is being managed by the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF). The MCF was established in 1984. Deborah Thiagarajan, an Indian art historian of American origin, governs the museum. The museum is built on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land taken on a 33-year lease from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Located at Muttukadu, on the East Coast Road connecting Chennai and Pondicherry, the site overlooks Bay of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Medical College, Thrissur</span> College in Kerala, India

Government Medical College Thrissur is a government medical school situated in the city of Thrissur in the Indian state of Kerala.

G. Shankar

Gopalan Nair Shankar, popularly known as G. Shankar, is an architect from Kerala, India. He advocates the use of locally available materials, sustainability, eco-friendliness and cost effectiveness. He founded the Habitat Technology Group, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1987 and as of 2012, serves on a number of boards. He did his architecture studies (B.Arch) from College of Engineering, Trivandrum and later did M.S. from Birmingham School of Architecture, UK and postgraduate diploma in journalism. He has also won 3 national awards for green architecture, slum resettlement and eco city design.. His attitude to "green architecture" has gained him a reputation as the "people's architect". Shankar was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2011.

Shoranur Junction railway station

Shoranur Junction is the railway station located at Shoranur, Palakkad District, Kerala. It comes under the Palakkad Railway Division of the Southern Railway. It is the largest railway station in the state of Kerala in terms of area. It is an important junction because it is the point at which the line from Chennai via Jolarpettai, Erode and Palakkad meets the coastal line from Mangalore to Kanyakumari. Further, Shoranur junction is the node from which a separate Branch line goes to the town of Nilambur, about 66 km to the north. The Nilambur–Shoranur line, which connects two tiny hill-towns, is one of the most picturesque in India.

Eugene Pandala Indian architect (born 1954)

Eugene Pandala is an Indian architect, known for building with values of environmental sustainability.

Kerala Forest Research Institute Research organization based in Thrissur, Kerala, India

The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) is an organisation based in Peechi, in Thrissur, India. It was established in 1975 by the Government of Kerala as part of its Science and Technology Department, and in 2003 became part of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.

Sarah Joseph (author) Indian novelist and short story writer in Malayalam

Sarah Joseph is an Indian novelist and short story writer in Malayalam. She won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and the Vayalar Award for her novel Aalahayude Penmakkal. She is a leader of the feminist movement in Kerala and is the founder of the activist organization Manushi. She joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 and contested the 2014 parliament elections from Thrissur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur railway station</span>

Kannur Railway Station, also formerly known as Cannanore, is the largest railway station serving the City of Kannur in Kerala. It lies in the Shoranur–Mangalore section of the Southern Railways of the Indian Railways. It is the largest railway station in terms of area and number of tracks in North Malabar region. At ₹62 crore in financial year 2018–19, it is the fifth largest in terms of passenger revenues in Kerala, and second largest under Palakkad division. Almost all major trains connecting the other parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and North India halt here. Kannur and Kannur South are two different stations which serve Kannur city.

Guruvayur–Thrissur spur line

Guruvayur–Thrissur section is a spur line functioning under Trivandrum railway division of Southern Railway zone. This is a single broad-gauge line which begins at Thrissur city and ends at Guruvayur in Thrissur district of Kerala. The 23 kilometres (14 mi) section was opened for traffic in the year 1994. The line connects the Cultural Capital of Kerala, Thrissur to the Temple Town of Kerala, Guruvayur, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.

Thrissur City Police

Thrissur City Police (TCP), a division of the Kerala Police, is the law enforcement agency for the City of Thrissur, Kunnamkulam and the temple town of Guruvayoor. The city police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police, an IPS officer, and the administrative control vests with the Home Ministry of Kerala. Thrissur City Police is the largest Police District in Kerala state covering an area of 570.79 Square kilometre.

Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro is a proposed Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Kuriakose</span>

Benny Kuriakose was born in Kerala, India. He made his mark in architectural conservation and the design of new buildings, taking his roots from the vernacular architecture of South India. He is known for designing structures which are built from natural materials such as timber, stone and brick. He has practiced mostly in Chennai and Kerala. He runs a consultancy firm in Chennai.

Kerala State Housing Board is a Kerala governmental group that provides direction and planning in housing activities. It was established under Act 19 of 1971.

References

  1. ↑ "Philosophy and Approaches". MIPAA. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Baker award for Costford". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 12 March 2008. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  3. ↑ "The earthy option for your floors". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 26 August 2006. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Baker was an alternative hero of architecture: academic". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 2 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "Watershed development: Kerala can do with minimum funds". Business Line. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Projects". MIPAA. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Strengths". MIPAA. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.