Architect at Avani in Uttarakhand, India

About Avani Bio Energy Avani is a non-governmental organization working in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India since 1997 in developing livelihood opportunities for the local people. In the past 18 years Avani has impacted the lives of people in more than 100 villages and set up six field centres to reach out to people in remote villages. Avani is a hub for innovating activities, where different focused teams including volunteers are always working on a unique solution to a large scale problem. Learn more at www.avani-kumaon.org.  

About the Job Construction of building is a challenge in the remote mountains because of logistics as well as lack of material available in the nearby market. Considering the focus of our work on environmental sustainability, as well as to reduce some of the problems faced in logistics, Avani started working on constructing houses using mud blocks. The mud that is excavated from the construction site is used to mold into blocks for building. Construction of blocks generates further employment in the local region, and reduces the carbon emissions needed to import bricks from big markets. Avani has completed the construction of the first two storied building, which will be used for community activities and as canteen for the entire staff. The bricks manufactured are the compressed stabilized earth blocks, which is mostly formed out of mud, and a very small quantity of sand and cement, reducing both the cost and consumption of cement. Avani also has a small school inside the campus, and now wants to construct a bigger building to expand the activities in the school. School will also be constructed inside the Avani campus and is a one storied building. It is an alternative school, which has about 15 students. First iteration of the school design has been completed and construction of mud-blocks has also begun. The concerned position is open to an individual who along with an educational background in architecture can think independently and creatively. The organization is open to ideas and modifications as we progress towards building the school from the person. The current team has hands on experience in traditional construction, and was also part of the first mud block construction, but does not have relevant educational background. The team received external help in design as well as frequent external advice during the construction. The expected output is to supervise the construction of the new building, including detailed designing as we move ahead. The expected timeline for completion is one year.

Qualifications Avani is looking for an architect who:

• Has  an  academic  background  in  architecture    • Has  prior  experience  with  similar  projects  • Knows  Hindi,  but  not  mandatory      

 

How to Apply Please send a CV, cover letter, references, and writing sample to idin-opportunities@mit.edu and Ritesh Singhania at ritesh@avani-kumaon.org.