They wanted to create buildings that tread lightly on the earth.

For minimal resource

consumption and waste generation, GEV began exploring the concept of mud construction.
Modern buildings are made from highly processed materials, such as cement, which not
only are detrimental to the ecology but also tend to isolate us from nature. Traditional
earthen homes are built with locally available materials and reconnect us to the earth. At
GEV we employed mud based technologies like Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB),
Cob and Rammed earth built structures that have less than 1% embodied energy compared
to conventional buildings
• Preserve and protect the landscape during construction
• Proper topsoil laying, stabilization of the soil, and maintenance of adequate fertility of the
soil
• Reduced air pollution during construction
• Reduced landscape water requirement
• Reduced building water use by applying low-flow fixtures
• Optimized building design to reduce the conventional energy demand
• Optimize the energy performance of the building within specified comfort limits
• Renewable energy utilization
• Renewable-energy- based water heating system
• Waste-water treatment using SBT, water recycling and reuse
• Resource recovery from waste
• Minimize ozone-depleting substances
• Minimize the disruption of the natural ecosystem
• Meet minimum allowable luminous efficacy
• Minimize road and pedestrian length by appropriate planning
• To protect the health of construction workers and prevent pollution.
• Reduce volume, weight, and time of construction by adopting efficient technologies
• Using low-energy material for interiors
• Some key features of this earth-coscious Construction Process are:
• Zoning – Thorough ecological planning prior to construction
• Protecting existing ecology – Fences around the important ecological landmarks
• Smart Sourcing – To reduce the overall carbon foot print
• Zoned Construction – Not allowed to spread all throughout the campus
• Mud is the essence – Simple, Natural Mud was the key constituent of the construction
material.
• Foundation was of stone masonry with stabilized mud mortar & concrete short poles (as
bond stone)
• Earthquake resistance – Conforming to the BIS norms (earthquake proofing methods to
protect).
• CSEB Bricks – Lesser amount of energy is consumed in preparation against modern day fired
bricks
• Assembled Arches – Saves cost on RCC, saves cost on plastering ceiling with cement, saves
waste and offer more strength and stability.
• Natural Insulation – A sloped roof with double layer of Mangalore tiles with an air gap
between the two. It ensures that the temperature inside the room is moderate as compared
to outside.