UpdatesWed, October 6, 2010: Webified the flyer of "How to build a Capsule" by Johnny at Auroville
.
|
On
my visit in Auroville ![](/imgs/extl.png)
(Tamil Nadu, South India) in late summer 2010 I met Johnny (John Allen) at the "Fertile" community. He developed what he calls a "Capsule" - a truncated tetrahedron.
The simplicity of Johnny's capsule is so convincing that his work has been adapted through entire Auroville.
Here his "How To Build A Capsule" flyer webified:
(Page 1)
The capsule is a design developed in Auroville as the simplest cyclone-proof one-man shelter to be built from local materials with village1) knowhow.
Since the geometry is crystalline tetra/octahedral all pieces are simple increments of a module (in this case 6m).
The appropriate materials in South India are casuarina poles, bamboo, coconut rope and palm thatch.
For further information, write: Johnny, Fertile, Auroville, South India, 605101
1) local tamilian roof building knowledge (Tamil Nadu, India)
(Page 2)
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
|
Erect 6m tripod on stone footings at 6m spacing |
Tie on 3m beams midway up the poles |
Tie in remainder of octahedron from 3m pieces and put stone supports |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
|
Tie in the main supports for the hexagonal floor |
Tie down floor beams at handspan spacing |
Tie split bamboo flooring to beams |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
|
|
Tie on lattice bamboo framing |
Attach woven coconut frond with bark stripes (on top: woven half coconut frond) |
Make & tie on framed flaps and ladder rungs |
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/Johnnys_Capsule/p1.jpg)
2010/09/29 19:47
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/Johnnys_Capsule/p2.jpg)
2010/09/29 15:43
Hint: to download high-resolution scan, click right mouse button and select "Save Target As".
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0079.JPG)
Johnny's Original Capsule, Sri Ma, Auroville
2010/09/19 09:40
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0080.JPG)
Johnny's Original Capsule, Sri Ma, Auroville
2010/09/19 09:40
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0062.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:37
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0063.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0064.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0065.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0066.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0067.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0068.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0069.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0070.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:38
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0071.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0072.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0073.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0074.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0075.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0076.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/2/PICT0077.JPG)
2010/09/19 09:39
An original (unaltered) capsule I photographed at "Sri Ma", a small Auroville community 5km north of the main area at the coast.
Currently (2010) Johnny works on a house toolkit to resolve some of the Auroville habitat shortage:
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0965.JPG)
2010/09/12 08:06
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0966.JPG)
2010/09/12 08:06
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0967.JPG)
2010/09/12 08:06
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0968.JPG)
2010/09/12 08:07
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0969.JPG)
2010/09/12 08:07
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0970.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:19
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0971.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:20
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0972.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:20
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0973.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:20
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0974.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:20
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0975.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:21
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0976.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:21
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0977.JPG)
2010/09/12 10:21
A more full grown house he built 2009:
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0676.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:18
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0677.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:18
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0678.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:19
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0679.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:19
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0680.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:21
![](/view/Pics/2010.India/1/PICT0681.JPG)
2010/08/09 12:24
.:.