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Hari Krishnaa

Sep 3, 2017
09:54

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Dear Javed Sultan,

Thank you for this Interesting proposal. Low-cost and climate adaptable homes for the poor, especially women is a laudable concept. The low-cost element of this concept certainly encouraging. Building capacities of local masons ensure sustainability of this Initiative. 

Lesotho In recent years has seen heavy and damaging rains and floods (2006, 2008, 2011). Do you think your proposal can take that risk into consideration in terms of design and financial contingencies such as Insurance to be Included? 

Thank you and wishing you all the best!

Hari Krishna

 


Javed Sultan

Sep 7, 2017
01:18

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Dear Hari:

Thank you for your feedback. I am surprised to hear that Lesotho has had devastating rains - as it hardly rains in Lesotho. If anything my understanding is that less and less rain is falling in Lesotho.I will need to check again. But to answer your question, the outer skin is lean concrete, it is vibrated and there is hardly any porosity. Also an internal membrane, polyethylene, encapsulates the styrofoam ( waste lunchboxes) - and additionaly acts as a moisture and air barrier. The styrofoam itself is additionally a moisture barrier. One can provide weep holes at the bottom for condensate but then if you do that you run the danger of encroachment from pests. We have no weep holes. In wet and rainy areas we would need to change some details and introduce weep holes and condensate barriers. Since the structure is poured in situ there is no porosity or void that you may find with masonry and mortar based structures - through creeping or other long term deterioration typical  of masonry or mortar based construction. Hence controlling the slump valley of lean concrete is critical during construction. These buildings are very hardy, have a life span of 80 years to 100 years with little or no repair excepting for the roof, and with at least twice or thrice the life span of wood structures. I am not sure if Insurance is required - at least in the case of Lesotho. I hope I have answered your question.


Javed Sultan

Sep 7, 2017
01:00

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Again Hari:

A follow up. I will check the rainfall data for the years you have outlined, I believe the rains were localized in valleys, and more pronounced in cities with more paved surfaces and poor storm drainage systems. There many ways to deal with the rain issue - including elevating the finished floor elevation, improving the design of floor sub-base, under-slab drainage and perimeter drains, and proper design for storm water drainage. In such areas insurance may play a role.


Javed Sultan

Oct 28, 2017
05:47

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This is our response to the judge’s comments. First we would like to thank the judge’s for their time and feedback.  Our response is as follows:

  1. Q. How do people living view the comfort levels…

(Answer) People have now spent two seasons, winter and summer, in the home. From what the sisters at the Roman Catholic Charity, where the house has been built, tell us they find these homes very comfortable.  In summer the house is cool most of the time. The location where our prototype is located rarely experiences summer temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold water (CW) based cooling, although available, has not been needed and to the best of our information has not been utilized. The site is also, most of the time, not uncomfortably humid.

However in other locations of Lesotho summer does get very hot and CW circulation could further cool the house in extreme hot weather. Our cooling and heating system, the location experiences bitterly cold winters below freezing temperatures, is based on using water as the exchange medium in a heat exchanger.

There are two closed water based loop systems that circulate either hot or cold water depending on the season. Water loop system (WLS) “A”, heats the walls by a perimeter heating piping, as well as  warms or cools the water in a heat exchanger “C”. WLS “B”, a second hydronic loop,  transfers that heat to a radiant floor system. See diagram and section below. Loop “A” cools or warms the house, depending on the season, as it travels in an exposed copper pipe adjacent to the internal concrete wall. WLS “A” is able to transfer the heat to concrete as concrete has thermal mass and can store heat or cold and dissipate that slowly. The water in loop “A” is gravity fed from a tank located on the roof, and then it is pumped up to the tank using a 12 volt water pump.

The third system, a thermal storage medium, (System “C”) is a water based heat exchanger (a tank full of water). So water in WLS “A” heats or cools the water in System “C”, which in turn heats or cools water in  WLS “B”. The water in System “B” transfers the heat, or cooling, through a radiant flooring system that runs under the floor slab. Since the floor is a concrete floor, it has thermal mass, and it gets cooled or heated in turn and keeps the room warm or cool as required. The water in system “C”  is circulated by a 12 volt water pump. System “C” is a water based system and in  future we anticipate using liquids which have a higher thermal mass capacity, such as mineral oils,  thereby we can store more heat during a 24 hour cycle.  

This circulating pump for either “A” or “B” is turned on or off by a timer, with a manual over-ride, to run for 15 minutes at intervals of every 6 to 8 hours.  The water in the tank has a capacity of over 30 gallons.

The water in system “A” comes from a solar hot water (SHW) on the roof – and that water is piped municipal water from a utility. The water in system “A” also has a direct line to shower and sink. Also a cold water line connects to WLS “A” and there is a manual toggle valve that either feeds system “A” with cold water(CW) for summer or HW for winter. A separate CW line feeds the sink and shower for CW. See sketch below. Our other responses to judge's comments follow.


Javed Sultan

Oct 29, 2017
01:35

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Additional response to judge's comments. 

  1. If required be we do have a rain harvesting system, and that water can be fed to the solar hot water using a manual or electric  water pump. But for now the municipal water is quite reliable so we have not connected the system because of budget limitations. Even though it does not rain in Lesotho very much, it does rain in the upper altitudes and there is quite a few fresh water lakes, reservoirs, underground springs and aquifers, so much so that one of the significant export of Lesotho is water to South Africa.
  2. Rain water harvesting, practiced widely in Lesotho has some drawbacks. The water is not potable. Lesotho needs a better filtering system for its rain water, so that contaminants such as bird droppings, dirt, air-borne chemicals,  algae, bacteria, mold can be significantly reduced so that after boiling the water is potable. We are working on an affordable and cost-effective approach but we have not been able to solve that problem as yet.
  3. Scaling the project is a challenge. We were first of the opinion that once we taught the villagers they could go ahead and build their homes, with the help of the sisters leasing them the wall form-work. However in Lesotho most villagers, are poor, and cannot afford even the $5,000 to $6.000 (US) required to build a one room unit. Micro-finance institutions are lacking and mortgage if available only to the upper income groups.  So we believe we have to come up with a different strategy. Poorer countries must first deal with the unemployment issues, and try to stimulate their internal economy and manufacturing. The best strategy that we can come up with is to train the villagers as well as commercial contractors. We are working on several design for one, two and three bedroom home for the middle and upper class, to help commercial contractors build these homes using our trained workers. In turn once these workers have employment, and money, and having learned the technique they can go back and build their homes. When people realize that instead of paying for imported electricity and fossil fuel for heating, they could build homes that can reduce their monthly outlay towards energy, the money will be invested in the internal economy as opposed to external economy. This for now seems to be the best approach – and we intend to give it our best shot.
  4. We are planning to put our plans and details, including videos of the construction process, online on an open source basis, once we have developed those audio-visual resources. But we also need to make sure that we have vetted our design and construction strategy so that risks are minimized and the end result is tangible and effective.

Javed Sultan

Nov 5, 2017
02:57

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For additional comments, in response to judge's semi-finalist feedback, please comment under "Evaluation Results" tab.


Katie Sultan

Nov 23, 2017
10:57

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This is amazing work - actual on the ground research and development for all his projects that makes a  significant difference for the enviornment and local people!

Deicated work for those in need !

 

 

Hari Krishnaa

Dec 10, 2017
02:42

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Dear Javed Sultan,

Thank You for your response to the comments aided by an extensive research. Your proposal is appropriately contextualized to conditions in Lesotho but the design has the flexibility to adapt for replication in other locations with similar climatic conditions. I agree that the cost is prohibitive for poor households. Extensive training of local masons and contractors and subsequent demand for skills and material should hopefully bring down the costs. Also, it will be good to tie up with National /INGOs (eg., Engineers without borders) to create pilots and engage with policymakers for tax subsidies or allocation of resources from relevant Government budgets, etc. 

I strongly support your proposal as a good strategy of adaptation. 

Thank You

Hari Krishna


Javed Sultan

Dec 19, 2017
07:31

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Hi Hari:Thank you for your support and valuable feedback. The journey has been long - challenges remain - but I am hoping collectively we will overcome them. Thank you. Javed Sultan


Mitul Sarkar

Jan 15, 2018
09:15

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Dear Javed. There is a crazyness to this crowd-voting thing, but I decided to stop by and let you know that I really like what you are proposing... and achieving. Keep up the good work, regardless of any outcome of this contest.


Javed Sultan

Jan 15, 2018
10:37

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Thank you Sarkar. Your words mean a lot to me. My sanity has often been questioned by my family and friends and if this is insanity I prefer to be insane and do what will make this world a better place for all - and not only for those who are rich and were dealt a better set of cards by fate. My heros in life have been Buddha, Ghandhi, Mandella, Barrack, St. Francis and Pope Francis and the ancient Stoics. I may be poorer financially but definitely richer in spirit and enriched by overcoming the challenges that seem insurmountable. Thank you.


Mitul Sarkar

Jan 16, 2018
12:35

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I know Javed. You are not alone :-)

And let's remember Baba Amte...the less-known person that even M K Gandhi looked up to.

Please ping me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitulsarkar/

Thanks and take care.


Javed Sultan

Jan 16, 2018
10:24

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Thank you Mitul. When one sees the life and works of these giants our efforts seem so minuscule and insignificant. I will be in touch. All the best.


Mitul Sarkar

Jan 26, 2018
09:30

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Congratulations, Javed! Being chosen the Judges Choice Practice winner validates the merit and impact of this submission and your work over the years!


Mitul Sarkar

Jan 26, 2018
09:01

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Congratulations, Javed! Being chosen the Judges Choice Practice winner validates the merit and impact of this submission and your work over the years!


Javed Sultan

Jan 27, 2018
07:13

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Thank you Mitul and congratulations on your victory. Excellent work.


Kate Petrova

Nov 2, 2019
01:34

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