Mud-concrete block construction : community centres for war victim communities in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Rejuvenating social interaction within community is an essential factor to survive together for a long time success. Designing buildings for war victim communities is challenging, thus it should be planned with great care, involving the people in the community to the design process, addressing their issues in poverty and fundamental needs through utilizing readily available materials and using locally available cost effective resources. As a new sustainable material, Mud-Concrete block (MCB) technology was introduced to build community centres for selected war victim communities in Batticaloa through ‘UN Re-settling programme’. Thus, different walling materials were introduced to build the community centers in identified areas in Batticaloa. Among those constructions, Mud concrete block (MCB) technology was identified as a highly viable solution which could use locally available soil in construction sites. This paper explores the up-to-date research process of introducing a new sustainable material to restore a war victim community within their context through community architecture.