Project Notes
Tiny Farm Fort
Over the course of the build, more than 90 people from 18 countries who were already travelling to India, joined in to build this house with their labour of love. They came through Workaway. More than 20 people got livelihood and learned the craft of building with cob.
Rationale
Most of the materials were sourced from within 150 meters.
The building’s orientation and window placement are optimized for natural light and heat. The organic curves and muted colours are easy on the eyes, evoke emotions, lift spirits, and connect people together, irrespective of gender, caste, age, or country. The building is designed to optimise material use, reducing excess and waste during construction. Using reclaimed materials, such as windows, slate for tables, and wood for chandeliers, reduces the need for new resources.
Materials Used
Eucalyptus Wood, Local Stone, Clay, Soil, Straw, Bamboo, Sand, Lime, Horse-Dung, Linseed Oil, Bees-Wax
Foundation / Plinth
Dry stone masonry made entirely of stones with no mortar.
Walls
The 18-inch thick cob walls provide thermal mass, which helps regulate indoor temperatures and reduces the need for mechanical heating and cooling, lowering operational carbon emissions.
Plaster
Plaster mix ratio - 1 clay soil: 1 lime: 2 sand: 1 horse poop
Tadelakht - 1 lime: 1 lime aggregate
Roof
Reciprocal living roof with cupola skylight in the middle.
- Eucalyptus beam for reciprocal roof
- Eucalyptus planks for sheathing
- Cardboard
- Geotextile
- HDPE 500 gsm pond liner
Water
Soak Pit
Grey Water to Banana circle
Flooring
Earthen flooring, finished with linseed oil and sealed with bees-wax.
Stone and lime mortar flooring in the bathroom.
Bathroom
Tadelakht Plaster
Other Features
The tiny 200-square-metre site is located in a remote mountain Sal forest in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 2 km from the last motorable point, making it an off-grid location.
This bioregion faces a dual challenge of climate change and migration. Uttarakhand is one of the fastest-growing states with unplanned urbanization and rising concrete cover.
The project highlights the potential of thoughtful planning and design, from the strategic placement of the building on the site to the meticulous attention to detail. It also demonstrates the possibilities of building with bioregional materials such as earth, stone, straw, lime, dung, bamboo, and timber.
Tip
Don’t use linseed oil with bees wax but rather thin bees wax with turpentine.
Quote
“We believe that the purpose of architecture is to evoke emotions, lift spirits, and connect us, irrespective of our gender, caste, age, or country. In this project we wanted to prioritize little things, how every corner would fill up the visitors with delight as they found an unexpected detail.”