contacts

Strenghts

Technologies
They conduct extensive research, testing and experimentation in various non-conventional building technologies such as exposed brick masonry, brickwork in rat trap bond, exposed stone masonry, stabilized earth constructions, filler slab roofing systems and several other scientific, cost-effective techniques.

Inspiration with the active theoretical backing of SARMET, Society for Advancement of Renewable Materials and Energy Technologies, is embarking on a series of structures using preservative treated engineered bamboo and wood composites.

Human resources
More than 100 architects and engineers, collectively, have worked under Inspiration and have spread out all over the country propagating the techniques they learnt at the office. Currently also, they have a well-coordinated team of architects, engineers and site supervisors, who are now capable of handling large sites independently.

Inspiration believes that an architect's role is much more than just providing a structural solution to a client. They lay a great emphasis on the quality, detailing and overall aesthetic appeal of the building. For this purpose they began organising a team that consisted of all the artisans and technicians that were needed to construct a beautiful building. They began with a small core group and then enlarged it as projects came and people began adding up. Currently, the Artisans Trust is registered as a Public Charitable Trust, consisting of a team of skilled craftsmen who have undergone training in cost-effective, energy efficient and eco-friendly construction technologies. This artisan's group is presently capable of undertaking any kind of contract work, ranging from residences to bigger building complexes, using these technologies.

They have also established an independent workshop by the name of Crafthouse, which is a subsidiary of Inspiration, in Ernakulam. This well equipped workshop, with over 50 craftsmen is capable of manufacturing furniture, accessories and prefabricated building components.

Inspiration tries wherever possible to encourage women workers by training them in the art of construction and ensuring equity for them. They are very concerned for the welfare of their workers and believe in working as a family. They also conduct educative programmes on topics such as eco-friendliness, cleanliness, computer literacy, accounting etc., which will help construction workers improve their quality of life.

On of the biggest concerns for the chief architects, now, is to find a constant source of work for the team they have organised in order to ensure continuous employment for them.

Training capacities
Over the years, Inspiration has given on the job training to over 50 architects, 50 civil engineers and site supervisors and 300 artisans in cost-effective, eco-friendly technologies in construction and related sectors.

They believe in the hands-on, on-the-project kind of approach to training. They are skeptical of the short-term mason's training courses that are being organized by the government and many other organizations, as an alternate livelihoods promotion campaign. Such efforts will only last till the funding is there and the organizations promoting the training are directly supervising the mason's activities.

For them training in the art of construction is more like teaching a craft. It has to be taught with time and patience. They believe that masonry is a skill. If the mason is already skilled in regular masonry work, then it will be much easier for him to learn new technologies. Moreover, if he is made to enjoy his work he will learn faster and produce better quality results.

Inspiration visualizes starting of a full fledged two year on-the-job training programme for qualified architects and engineers as an orientation in the technologies and approaches that they have had the opportunity to initiate / propagate.

R&D / cataloguing / publications
They are involved in developing new techniques of construction in association with architects and engineers who are committed to environment friendly and sustainable development. They also develop, document and disseminate, publish information on contemporary applications of traditional crafts and applications of cost-effective and environment friendly techniques in the fields of construction, energy, water and environment.

Inspiration has been appointed as consultants for external monitoring of the engineering interventions of the Cochin Urban Poverty Reduction Project CUPRP, which is an urban project supported by UK's DFID India and aims to improve livelihood opportunities for the poor of Cochin and develop a replicable model for the rest of Kerala.

Inspiration has been appointed as consultants to study the various organizations imparting training in CEEEF technologies in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, by SKAT the technical wing of Swiss Development Co-operative, SDC, who has undertaken a study of supply and demand assessment of training in CEEEF in Kerala, along with the Human Settlements Management Institute, HSMI at New Delhi.