In India, a low-tech outdoor library called “Le Colombier: the Garden Library”

International
29 May 2024

Icam students in their 4th year of the International Bachelor (o3) program at the Kochi campus took part in the Habitat low-tech project, an interdisciplinary engineering project.

On the campus of the Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology (RSET), o3 students have built a sustainable outdoor space where anyone can read, work or simply relax.

The project, called “Le Colombier: the Garden Library”, took three months to complete. The name was chosen in reference to the habitat of doves, a sign of peace and fraternity between Rajagiri students of different nationalities.

 

The students officially handed over the keys to the school’s management team on May 14th, at an inauguration ceremony during which the principal pronounced a blessing in Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala, a state in south-west India. The management team gave the library pride of place, in the heart of a wooded area that it wanted to redevelop and enhance, whereas the project was initially intended to be located in a very inconspicuous part of the campus.

The next team of students will continue the work with the aim of improving this space in terms of energy and water autonomy, thermal insulation at roof level, intelligence by integrating IoT (Internet of Things), and completing the interior finishing of the house.

Congratulations to all the students who worked to make this magnificent building a reality, and to all the people without whom this project would never have seen the light of day ! @lowtechindia