Date:26/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/26/stories/2007062661080300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Call to adopt new culture in housing

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom, who is also in charge of Housing, has directed the Nirmithi Kendra to make democratic interventions in the field of housing so as to bring about a new culture in the area..

The Minister was inaugurating a workshop on housing organised by the Nirmithi Kendra here on Monday. He said the Nirmithi Kendra should be able to construct habitable houses at low cost and in a time-bound manner for victims of natural calamities. He described Laurie Baker, who constructed low-cost houses that were suited to Kerala’s climatic conditions and topography, as a visionary. The realisation of this had led to the setting up of the Laurie Baker Nirmithi Training and Research Institute. A programme to impart latest developments to construction workers would be launched this year.