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Here
are a few examples of professional faculty projects done at IDC.
Modular Houseboat in Composites for Kerala Tourism
Project
Team: Prof
Kishor Munshi
Houseboat in Kerala, mainstay of its tourist industry developed from rice boat has hardly changed in terms of design, use of materials or technique of manufacture, since its birth about 40 years ago. Virtually, it never evolved. One major reason probably was mutual contradiction between
preservation of cultural identity / ethnicity and new technology. Finally, a win-win design was innovated – one that kept former intact & advanced
later. Multi-level & cross-disciplinary product development process had to
be adopted to achieve this aesthetic, ergonomic, cost-effective & rapidly
manufactured houseboat for backwaters of Kerala in India. Some salient
points that enabled achievement are pointed now. Hull & superstructure that were built traditionally from heavy wood (responsible for indiscrete deforestation and virtual extinction), and steel structures were replaced
by 'smart' composites in modular form. Traditional production on land was
exchanged for dual land-water factory – on land factory built modules,
assembled on floating hull (27 M long, 4.5 M wide, housing engine and all the service units) on water, optimizing the use of space. Construction man-hours, both quantitative and qualitative (in terms of reduced 'fatigue' and cost) came down, speeding production. The rightly chosen materials like resins & reinforcements sharply reduced maintenance costs while enhancing durability several times. Rusting of iron, degradation of bamboo mats was eliminated by the use of GRP (rust-proof material) unaffected by salinity. Comfort of end-user, the tourist, was not forgotten; he got modern comforts, superior panoramic view from rooms,
semi covered decks with protection from Sun and rain with all round visibility, feeling of openness, made possible by unique design of components. Tourists are safer in this lighter, yet stronger new houseboat– courtesy, new generation fiberglass reinforced plastics. In totality, it is design for function, form, manufacturability, ecology, serviceability, environmental compatibility and respect for local architectural sensibility, all conglomerated into an integral whole |
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