Incidentally Kerala's alternative house construction industry is developed and though their houses are a wee kitsch....they have some unique flooring concoctions. Example, they mix powdered coconut shell, with charcoal, some flower juice to give the flooring a nice shine and keep the home cool.
http://www.vasthukamarchitects.com/cra.aspx http://www.vasthukamarchitects.com/crd.aspx <--------the black flooring of the balcony is what I am referring to. These old Kerala Christian homes are a beauty, http://parayilat.blogspot.com/2008/11/kerala-architecture-mansion-of.html There are a couple of them included in Taschen's book on Indian homes. On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 7:27 PM, Edgar Silveira <ed...@goencar.com> wrote: > Ah, finally GoaNet is getting some interesting discussion going. > Wonder if mud-houses are being built in Goa- I understand in Pednem > and Canacona and the interiors have the traditional houses built out > of mud and brick. > > Still remember going to the state exhibition in the 70s (I cannot > remember the exact name) but it was big and was held at the Campal > grounds where the government would display interesting housing > concepts...including building houses of wood and locally available > materials. Does anyone remember going to those exhibitions? > > Some of these along the Palolem beach remind me of the display, > http://www.google.ca/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=chattai%20huts&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1276&bih=656 > > As well, in the late 80s, Dean and Gerrard introduced the architecture > of Jeffery ****** (Aussie pioneer of mud brick houses) and Laurie > Baker. I know in Karnataka and some part of Maharashtra, there are > some folks who are building mud houses (apparently they are durable > and very comfortable)....think I saw an article in Times Crest edition > a few months ago. Does anyone know of a non-traditional mud house > built in Goa? > > Lastly, since someone mentioned snakes..........does anyone know of a > repellent for snakes. I know folks who came back from Afrika borough a > piece of wood that would deter snakes (apparently). I was told by a > pharmacist friend that Phenol dabbed in cotton keeps them away. Any > ideas? > > Interesting someone mentioned Vastu placing of the house. Anyone care > to elaborate. > > Regards > > On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 12:48 AM, Venantius J Pinto > <venantius.pi...@gmail.com> wrote: >> In walls it would have a mortar effect when it interacts with lime. Perhaps >> preventing/limiting vauteo. From what I have heard it was mud, lime (almost >> always from ground shells, including even egg shells), jaggery (as in, >> maddachem godd) and grass too. There was also some extract dropped in though >> not always. Shell paste could used later on the surface and burnished. If it >> can done to paper it can be done on the wall -- although I do not know >> whether it was done. It would merely involve a small test to find out! >> >> One could figure out the reactions in various proportion and in fact add >> other elements in my contemporary opinion.Of course a deviation from >> tradition, and not something to be dismissed casually. Needless to add the >> materials would be organic. >> >> A person such as Victor Hugo Cotteto Gomes (Goa Chitra), as well as the >> traditional builders (f I am not mistaken from Canacona) would know better. >> Withing the tradition -- very few left. >> ++++++++++++ >> venantius j pinto >> >> >> >>> Message: 1 >>> Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:00:50 +0530 >>> From: Frederick Noronha <fredericknoro...@gmail.com> >>> Subject: [Goanet] Jaggery and buildings >>> >>> There was a discussion on Saligao-Net >>> [http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net] about why jaggery was >>> used in old buildings in Goa. Below are some hints. Anyone would have >>> a clue? (I hope JC will not charge me with promoting more stereotypes >>> about the Goan*s*). -- FN >>> >>> Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 >>> >>> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >>> >>> On 27 November 2010 10:09, dilip dacruz <cruzmissil...@hotmail.com> wrote: >>> > >>> > 1. I'm intrigued by the jaggery. Was it used as a glue? Or was it a form >>> of heat insulation? I understand Jaggery is sometimes used to line tandoors. >>> >>> FN: >>> >>> ... Google has some pointers... >>> >>> ?A farmer told me that after this application they also sprinkle some >>> jaggery around the trees. Asked to explain the reason he said, >>> "jaggery attracts large black ants (domle/katmuyo) which are natural >>> enemies of termites. They kill and drag all termite workers to their >>> nests". This is a part of Goa?s traditional biological control. But >>> the hidden termites are perfect defenders of their nests and even >>> snakes are scared to enter a live termite nest. So the termite >>> conquests in Goa would continue. (Nandkumar Kamat) >>> >>> http://www.navhindtimes.in/panorama/climate-change-favours-voracious-termites >>> >>> Conventional wisdom of our ancestors advocated construcation of houses >>> building, with materials available which are generic to the mother >>> earth such as stones cut form granite formation or leterite crust or >>> mud finely sieved mixed with lime, sand jaggery and the roofs were >>> constructed slantingly with enjoinment of rafters reapers wall plates, >>> beams with over burnt clay tiles layering and as the roof extended >>> almost 2 1/2 feet? ? away from the periphery of the walls thereby >>> protecting wall from formation of moss in monsoon by flow of water. >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/gulf-go...@yahoogroups.com/msg00974.html >>> >>> Agreed, the answer is not very clear... but there's a hint of it here. FN >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------ > -- "Explanation Destroys Art."