About Us
MRINMAYEE
The seeds of Mrinmayee began to germinate way back in 1987 during the construction of the residence of Yogananda M.R.(who was working with KSCST/ ASTRA, IISc) using Stabilized Mud Blocks (SMB). This building, as it was getting completed kindled the interest of many people who wanted to reduce the cost of construction and thus paved the way for setting up of Mrinmayee- consultants on mud blocks and building alternatives in 1988 as a response to meet the needs of those who wanted to construct using SMB’s and alternative roofs. Many people in Bengaluru were captivated by the twin advantage of cost reduction and elegant appearance and evinced keen interest to make use of it. Mrinmayee Testing Lab made its beginning by getting involved in testing various kinds of soils and arriving at the correct mix design to produce good quality SMB’s with the required wet compressive strength.
The research & development carried out and the experiences gained in the dissemination of alternative building technologies at ASTRA and Dept. Of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru led by Prof.K.S.Jagadish has been the foundation for all the activities of Mrinmayee.
To create an awareness on the alternative building technologies and also to make it accessible to everyone Hands-on workshops are conducted by Mrinmayee on a regular basis, where the participants can actively take part in stabilized mud construction methods and get practical knowledge and feel for things. Any person interested in this alternative technology can take part in these workshops as there is no other criterion. Hence these workshops have seen architects, civil engineers, contractors, students, office going people, home makers, masons etc. enroll for the programme.
Mrinmayee is also actively involved in Artisans training on-site wherever the projects are being executed so as to improve the skills in building construction which include alternative systems in walling with stabilized mud, alternative roofings, foundations etc.
MAHEEMAYA
Maheemaya is involved in manufacturing manually operated soil block press called “MARDINI” developed at Mrinmayee, ably assisted by mechanic Sri.N.Krishna. This manually operated press is capable of generating sufficient force to produce a dense block and the machine comes with different mould sizes which are interchangeable. The advantage of this press lies in the fact that it can give employment to the locals around the area using the soil available locally and that it eliminates additional energy needs in terms of electricity and diesel. Simple Rammed earth moulds and Adobe moulds are also fabricated for usage in the construction of rammed earth walls and adobe walls.
MAHIJAA
The art and science of construction has undergone major changes where it now involves highly energy- intensive materials and has become one of the main contributors of carbon dioxide emissions the world over. Mahijaa is interested in alternative ideas in architecture that stresses on low energy, eco friendly designs that use passive energy systems using locally available materials and skills to consruct load bearing masonry buildings with alternative roofing systems and provide services in architectural and structural design including technology guidance. A high level of interest on the part of the user and committed site supervisory staff willing to learn and interact with the Mahijaa team are essential prerequisites to build the expertise at the local level so that technology dissemination could be carried on even after the particular project is completed.
