Research

Sankalan's research initiatives are driven by the goal of fostering innovation in environmentally sensitive building technologies. By creating new knowledge or reimagining existing knowledge, Sankalan aims to generate novel concepts, methodologies, and understandings in the field. The objective is to pave the way for inventive and sustainable approaches that contribute to the advancement of environmentally conscious building practices.

Research programs at Sankalan can be classified as follows.

1. Project-based research - When there is an attempt to introduce a new concept/technique while designing a building. For such instances, a collaborative research program is designed and the building component is constructed scale to scale for live testing; data is recorded and analyzed to arrive at decisions of its workability both independently or within the larger structure. If the decision is affirmative, then the entire construction process is transferred to the artisan guild so that they have the know-how to implement it on the project.
2. Institutional Research - Reputed institutions such as MIT, USA have been collaborating for many years with Sankalan’s team for facilitating the research scholars in their research programs that are mostly intended to address various issues in mass housing, such as climate conducive interventions. Sankalan's team provides valuable assistance to scholars in their research endeavors, offering technical solutions, logistical support, and aid with data collection and recording throughout the research process. They also work closely with the research guide, offering guidance and collaboration to implement actual-scale models, ensuring successful research outcomes.
3. In-house Research - Innovation has been an integral part of Sankalan’s practice. Building elements are always questioned and solutions are derived for their effectiveness and efficiency. This leads to in-house research activities wherein new products of building elements are designed, made, and tested. The most critical part is to implement such elements in a project, for which the know-how of the technique is transferred to the artisan guild, thus making the research finding a part of the whole construction activity.
4. Collaborative Research - Sankalan’s research team is open to collaborating with other organizations for innovating building solutions using natural materials. Either the initiative should have an impact on mass housing or address solutions for existing building deficiencies, which can be region specific. Such research initiatives help in the development of solutions that can be easily adapted by practitioners.