Rishikesh’s House of Biomaterials is a community-built hand-sculpted cob house

House of Biomaterials is open as a bed and breakfast for people to stay and experience natural living
| Photo Credit: Atik Bheda

In 2021, as we were gradually easing out of the pandemic-induced lockdown, 90 volunteers from over 18 countries such as Japan, and the USA, arrived at a remote mountain Sal forest in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Not for an escape from the deadly virus, but to help build House of Biomaterials, a cob house that champions the use of bio-based and circular solutions.

Raghav and Ansh Kumar
| Photo Credit:
Aishwarya Lakhani

This was the first project of design innovation studio Tiny Farm Lab that is helmed by architect brothers Raghav and Ansh Kumar. Aimed at challenging the way we think and use materials, the studio launched in 2021 with the cob house.

Now famously known as Tiny Farm Fort, they say the project “was a consequence of a lifestyle choice”. “Being locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Delhi made us question our built environments. Surrounded by uninspiring buildings, we both wanted to live closer to Nature, and learn from it,” says Raghav, adding that they wanted to “build something sacred and authentic with our own hands along with a loving community”.

The 600 sq.ft. structure is created with earthen plaster cob walls, a stone arched gateway, and a reciprocal frame living roof
| Photo Credit:
Atik Bheda

Work on House of Biomaterials — open as a bed and breakfast for people to stay and experience natural living — began in October 2021 and the project completed in April 2024. “However, the effective construction working days were 18 months,” says Ansh, of the 600 sq.ft. structure created with earthen plaster cob walls, a stone arched gateway, and a reciprocal frame living roof (a self-supporting roof structure made of beams) that merges the building with the landscape. “Every delicate detail is hand-sculpted and tells the story of the over 90 volunteers who came via Workaway, a volunteer exchange website. We had put out a call for volunteers, and they all joined in to build this house with their labour of love,” explains Ansh, adding that a majority of natural materials such as windows and slate table tops were consciously sourced within 150 metres or salvaged from old houses.

Over 90 volunteers from 18+ countries helped build the house
| Photo Credit:
Atik Bheda

“In a fast-paced world of mass production, people would see our approach of slow architecture as counter-intuitive,” says Raghav, “Building with earth, lime, wood, and bamboo has been a practical choice for centuries. However, In the past few decades, houses made using natural materials have declined, and earth, bamboo, and thatch houses are seen as kutcha (weak or temporary). We wanted to improve the desirability and image of earthen buildings and debunk myths surrounding them.” Since the project has gone public, the duo say they have received enquiries for consultations for similar projects.

The structure was built at a cost of ₹20 lakh
| Photo Credit:
Atik Bheda

The duo calls House of Biomaterials (built at a cost of ₹20 lakh) an “exhibition of bioregional circular materials” in the shape of a community-built hand-sculpted cob house. Aimed at showcasing how one can use natural materials to build structures that are not only beautiful and functional but enduring, it champions the use of cob. “There is a rise in natural calamities such as earthquakes, and forest fires due to climate change, which demands resilient construction methods. If you are not building in floodplains, or freezing climate areas that receive no sun, we believe cob is and has been the ultimate material. Cob construction, incorporating straw, offers an eco-friendly solution to the environmental problem of pollution from stubble burning,” says Ansh, who says by 2030, up to three billion people will need new housing and basic infrastructure. “About 60% of the buildings required for the next century haven’t been constructed yet, and most of them will be in the global South.”

A snapshot of House of Biomaterials
| Photo Credit:
Atik Bheda

With this project, a “self-initiated demonstrator building”, the brothers aim to debunk myths about mud houses, improve their desirability, and also generate livelihoods in the region. But having lived the urban life for decades with no rural connection, creating it was no mean feat. “The mountain life itself was quite challenging,” admits Raghav, “The nearest motorable road to the site is 2 kms away and one had to hike 30 mins to reach the site. Although most materials were sourced near the site, the remote location made it challenging to carry materials that had to be sourced from the city, such as long wooden beams.” Every year, during monsoons, as the river swells, the wooden bridge that connects the village to the city washes away, making the village inaccessible for four months of the year, he adds. “The site is located in the buffer zone of a national park so we faced challenges from wildlife such as elephants. It was also difficult to find skilled labour so we had to first train ourselves and then the labour,” chimes in Ansh.

A majority of the construction materials were sourced near the site
| Photo Credit:
Atik Bheda

Alongside House of Biomaterials, the duo consult and design natural homes for clients. “We are currently wrapping up an interior design project for a retail shop in Varanasi that we did in collaboration with Aishwarya Lakhani of Brown Dot Collaborative. The organic curves of the interiors and the material finishes draw inspiration from the design of the Tiny Farm Fort, while also blending the culture and context of Varanasi, and incorporating the craftsmanship of local artisans. We just started renovating a 90-year-old house in Rishikesh made using lime plasters and floors,” says Raghav, who is also planning to host a workshop at their studio on how to research and map the materials in the bioregion.