By Riki Dwivedi | Volunteer
This has been an energizing period at the Auroville Language Lab building, and we’re thrilled to share what’s been accomplished! Our biggest milestone is the completion of the three tall outlet shafts for our passive cooling system. Each one rises nearly 30 feet, made of sturdy metal and polycarbonate, and required almost three weeks of intense work. They are now fully in place, and they bring us dramatically closer to proving that large public buildings can stay cool without a single air-conditioner, even as temperatures keep rising! We now have a total of 6 outlet shafts ready.
We also carried out important structural repairs to keep the building strong and weather-resistant. The roof has been reinforced, the gutters consolidated, and the entire drainage line prepared for the monsoon. Security barriers were added in the children’s room, and the fencing outside was strengthened with solid granite pillars and fencing to keep wild pigs out. These improvements protect the building so it can continue standing as a living example of ecological construction in action!
Not only is our building ecological and a great example of construction to combat climate change, many people have reported feeling calm and centred inside. We have gathered some comments from students and other visitors to the building. Do have a look. These comments beg the question : what effects do buildings have on their users. Are they simply functional? Or, can buildings have a deeper function? Integrating the ancient Indian science of Vaastu Shastra, with a modern system of electromagnetic compliance, as well as probiotics usage, enables our building to show the way for the future of architecture.
Our Annual Report and a new film about the Lab are now complete, helping us share our message more widely: climate change does not have to push the world toward more and more air-conditioning. Our building shows another way! Even unfinished, it has stayed comfortable at 42 degrees Celsius, something almost unimaginable in today’s climate. Every step forward strengthens this message and helps us demonstrate that sustainable, low-energy buildings are possible, practical, and urgently needed.
Thank you for supporting a project that aims to shift how the world thinks about heat, health, and energy. We’re moving ahead with determination and excitement, and we cannot wait to show you what comes next!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
