Tamil Nadu Ewb Buildings Case

Assignment 1

Topic A: Buildings

By Callan Barker- 3330716

Group: The Heroes

Introduction

This year the EWB challenge is based in the town of Devikulam, which is in the state of Nadu Tamil. This area is in Southern India, which is located in the tropics. Tamil Nadu, as is most of India, is a developing region and so forth residents do not have much money at all to spend on building materials, or the option too if they did have the money as Devikulam is a very remote town. This means that we have to look into ways to tweak the current systems, or adapt other materials to improve the living conditions for the locals. The locals currently prefer to reside in dwellings of mud brick with thatch roofing, as they are cooler in the dry season, and mostly dry in the monsoon season. The government also builds some residences from concrete or burnt brick, these are not so desirable as the materials hold the heat and in the dry season make sleeping inside unbearable for the residents. The residents have requested that these be made habitable, and that improvements to the local style are made to protect them from the monsoons. This report covers areas including how the local climate affects the building styles, the pros and cons of said styles, and possible styles that could be used to good effect in the given climate.

Climate

The area of Tamil Nadu is in the tropics and as such is subject to monsoon seasons, high humidity and hot temperatures. The area can change quite a lot between its three seasons, which are described here:

January to May- Dry season

- 20% average annual rainfall

- Longest days of the year, stretching to almost 10 hours of

sun shine, as opposed to day length

June to September- Monsoon season with strong winds from the southwest

- 32% average annual rainfall

- Shortest days of the year, shrinking to under 5 hours of light

October to December- Monsoon season with strong winds from the northeast

- 48% average annual rainfall

With a high average