Editorial In our last issue we focused upon the housing crisis. In
this issue we zero in on one particular housing project, Sacred Groves, that
attempts a new direction in sustainable construction yet which has been plagued
by controversy. Its importance lies in the fact that it is representative, in
some ways, of the conflicting challenges faced by those who have collective
responsibilities and those who try to break the mould.
The Sacred Groves project is an experiment in sustainable
construction that is gaining recognition in the larger India. However, it has
become the focus of controversy in the Auroville community as some feel that it
has cost too much and delivered too little.
A brief overview
Some years ago, Auroville’s town planning group, L’Avenir,
formed a group of Auroville architects to look at the possibilities for
affordable housing. This culminated in the concept of the ‘Transit Lounge’, an
experi...
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