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Built Environment · Know Your Material

Know Your Materials: Morbi – The Ceramic Capital of India

Morbi is a small town in Gujarat! But with close to 1000 factories and exporting to about 180 countries worldwide, the total volume of vitrified products produced in Morbi is next only to China. Most reputed brands we see or hear about mostly get their products made in Morbi’s ceramic factory. On a visit to a factory, it is not uncommon to see boxes with the branding of several well-known local and international companies along with unbranded ones. Most tiles can be acquired at a cost of less than 30% at which they retail, provided we can buy such a large volume.

What types of vitrified tiles are available?

There are three main types of vitrified tiles available on the market. Their properties and their application vary.

1. Glazed Vitrified Tiles (GVT) Tiles

These are the most widely available tiles. As the name suggests, they contain a very thin layer of glazing – the design – printed over a ceramic base. The tiles come in matt or gloss finish and are often the cheapest. They come in sizes ranging from 1×1 foot up to as much as 4×10 feet

Advantages:

Since the design is printed, there is usually a huge variety of patterns and colours to choose from. Patterns can mimic natural materials such as marble, granite etc. in appearance

Disadvantages:

The glazing surface is less than 1mm thick. When used in areas of heavy footfall, the top glazing layer could disappear due to wear and tear. This exposes the ceramic base below.

2. Double-Charged Tiles

Double-charged tiles are made by fusing two layers of pigments directly over the ceramic base. The pigment layer is about 3 or 4mm thick and, hence, resistant to wear and tear.

Advantages:

Since the top layer is thick and not printed but actually of pigments, it is more resistant to wear and tear and surface-level damage. Therefore, this type of tile is recommended in areas of heavy footfall such as in public buildings.

Disadvantages:

Since it is the mixing of pigments and not printing, the design options are limited. Also, its sizes are limited – usually about 2×4 feet.

2. Full-Body Tiles

Full-body tiles are made of a single material. The colour and pattern extend throughout the tile and are also the most sturdy. It comes in various finishes such as gloss, rustic, stone, matt, etc. It is the closest alternative to natural stone in the vitrified tile segment.

Advantages:

Since the colour, design and pattern extend throughout the tile, it wouldn’t matter if it is scratched or chipped. It has a wide variety of applications including countertops, apart from floors and walls.
Since it has the same material throughout it can be cut to different sizes and several designs can be worked out.

Disadvantages:

It is often the most expensive of the options available.

How are they made?

The industrial manufacturing of vitrified tiles is elaborate. A decently sized factory can churn up to 2 lakh sq.ft. of finished tiles every single day!

Here is a photo journey from one of the factories manufacturing GVT tiles which is similar for the most part for the types as well.

The environmental cost of the large-scale vitrified tiles industry

Large-scale industrial production comes with an equally large environmental cost! The ceramic industry is an extremely energy-intensive one. Morbi has a very high concentration of Sulphur Dioxide (SO²) pollution. Furthermore, given the raw materials which are fine sand, Morbi faces an extremely high instance of fine particle pollution with fine particle pollution of almost 5 times than the limit advised by WHO. The constant cover of dust is a testament to this.

The environmental cost of our building materials

Furthermore, polishing and cleaning require significant use of water which is mostly left out untreated leading to groundwater pollution. Additionally, most of these industries are run by migrant labor from Bihar and other central states. Are there significant safety measures, facilities, social amenities, and safety measures in place for the labour force?

FIne particle pollution in Morbi is 5 times more than WHO approved safe limits.

In any large-scale production, there are often also large-scale environmental and social impacts. This would be the same with other building materials as well. The trip to Morbi was an eye-opener where we got to see the other side of the material that is often showcased in shiny shop interiors.

The building industry, by default, imposes heavy costs on the environment.

But can it be minimised?

Can we be conscious of our material use?

Can we find alternatives that cause less environmental impact?

Can we look at a circular economy that focuses on material reuse?

January 7, 2025

Journal

Reflecting on 2023 – A brief overview of our projects & happenings

It’s 2024, and we are working on some exciting projects that hit the ground in 2023 and continue to take shape. Here is a brief account of how our preceding year went!

A porous academic block: Academic block for the Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (A.N.J.A.C., Sivakasi)

A project that has been on our drawing board since 2022, the new academic block for Ayyan Nadar Janaki Ammal College (A.N.J.A.C.), Sivakasi, broke ground towards the end of 2023. With a total built-up area of approximately 10,000 sq.m. the project accommodates more than 35 classrooms, laboratories, and auditoriums of different capacities including a 500-seater auditorium.

Interconnected courtyards of various sizes – a couple of large ones, and several smaller ones – let the breeze in and the students move in and out freely. The effect is to create a porous building. These courtyards along with the use of cavity walls, sunscreens, and deep recesses are adopted for the site located in Sivakasi, which is known for its hot and dry climate

Adapting the old for the new: Vishnupuram Agraharam House

A kind of project that is a first for us, which continues to be a great learning experience is the repair and renovation of an almost 100-year-old Agraharam house It is in a charming little town called Vishnupuram at the heart of the Cauvery Delta. The challenge was to repair and renovate the house for modern use while emphasising its heritage character. Added to these is a building budget to be kept as affordable as possible which we do so by reusing materials recovered from the site and obtained second-hand as much as possible.

. The clients’ vision to showcase the possibility of renovating and using the old Agraharam houses for modern use within affordable budgets as an alternative to the complete demolition of old houses and their replacement with generic RCC structures is an equal driver for the project.

Phase 2: Scheme

Simple, yet bold: Linys Hall, Pattukotai

In 2023 we started construction on a 700-seater marriage hall in a site surrounded by coconut groves close to the city of Pattukotai and not 5km away from the coast. Conceived as a PEB (Pre-Engineered Building) structure, we attempted to make the most of efficient construction. A simple design with bold geometric forms and running windows frame the tall coconut trees and at the same time contrast with the setting that is around the site.

Linys hall – interior – amongst coconut groves!

In addition to these flagship projects, our Project Management Consultancy (PMC) team is actively involved in the construction of several independent houses in and around Trichy. Each project is in various stages of construction, showcasing our commitment to diverse architectural endeavours.

Architectural community leadership & educational outreach:

2023 was a year of significant events. Our principal architect, Ar. P. Chandranesan, was elected Chairman of the Tamilnadu chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects for the term 2023-2025. Under his leadership, the chapter hosted several presentations by both young and upcoming architects in the ‘Spotlight’ series and by senior architects in the ‘Inspire’ lecture series.

Our associate, Ar. Kapilan Chandranesan, served as a visiting faculty at the CARE School of Architecture, Trichy. He undertook design studio courses for 3rd and 4th year B.Arch. students. The recently concluded design studio focused on creating designs for a Museum for River Cauvery on its flood banks. Proposals centered on ecologically sensitive designs, aiming to narrate the river’s stories through architecture.

Stepping into 2024:

As we step into 2024, we would like to thank our clients and well-wishers and seek their continual support in our mission to creating built environments that nurture good living!

February 9, 2024

Journal

2022 Recap!

The year 2022 was a year of many firsts for us. We participated in two national-level design competitions and won. The fact that these competitions were different in their scope, but closely connected with our ethos of nurturing good living through our built environments was extra special.

The first competition which we participated in at the beginning of the year, was a call to redesign the PWD prototypes for rural public buildings in the Satara district. We submitted our proposal titled ‘Rural Learning Network’ for the educational buildings category. We reframed the brief as an opportunity to design public infrastructure for the entire village, not just educational facilities. This way, we created prototypes that are open and accessible to children and adults alike, flexible and usable for various purposes, and self-sufficient and reliable within the stipulated budget per building type. Our proposal was adjudged the winning entry.

The second competition, ‘Reweave Kozhikode’, was organized in conjunction with the Young Architects Festival (YAF) 2022. YAF was a 3-day national-level convention attended by more than 2000 architects from across the country and organized by the IIA Calicut Centre. The competition was an open call to ideate design possibilities to convert the now-abandoned Comtrust weaving factory and the adjoining open spaces into active urban public centres. Of about 120 teams that registered for the competition, 9 teams were shortlisted to present their respective designs to the primary audience. Our proposal, ‘Urban Bricolage, which sought to eliminate boundaries and convert the area into a ‘public living room’ all the while maintaining the heritage of the site was adjudged, the winner. We await further development regarding the project.

As a firm, we are strongly committed to the quality of public spaces and the nature of our overall built environment. We collaborated with Vijay Architects in transforming a parcel of unkept land in front of the city corporation office into a public park and plaza befitting the main building. To commemorate the opening of the park, a public exhibition on all the self-initiated projects by the Indian Institute of Architects in reimagining the public spaces of the city was organized, which was also well-received by the local citizens.

Architecturally and technically, this was also a year of many learnings. In the middle of the year, we were approached by a client, also a close friend and well-wisher of our practice, with a brief to design a farmhouse for their new venture. With a request to finish the building within 3 months and within a tight budget, it made us relook at assumptions and conventions that we took for granted. The result was the Terracotta House, built within 3 months and within a budget of 20 lakh rupees.

Apart from that, 2022 was the year we finally revamped our website, and made changes to our office and working environment. With many new and exciting projects, still, on the drawing board, we look forward to a very fruitful 2023!

January 12, 2023