The Beauty of Building With Mud and Trash | Vinu Daniel | TED

What if we could use waste to create resilient and sustainable buildings? Bringing out the beauty of the dirt beneath our feet, climate-responsive architect Vinu Daniel shares how he and his team are giving local and discarded materials (think: mud, plastic and used tires) a second life by using them to create dreamlike homes, schools and other public spaces.
If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: ted.com/membership
Follow TED!
Twitter: / tedtalks
Instagram: / ted
Facebook: / ted
LinkedIn: / ted-conferences
TikTok: / tedtoks
The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world's leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design - plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
Watch more: go.ted.com/vinudaniel
• The Beauty of Building...
TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (or the CC BY - NC - ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: www.ted.com/about/our-organiz.... For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at media-requests.ted.com
#TED #TEDTalks #architecture

[@VickyVasiliki]

The buildings you’re creating are so much nicer than the “traditional” ones! Congratulations for your sensitivity! Hope your techniques get adopted by others too!!

[@anamikaks4597]

So sooo inspiring! I have looked upto Vinu Daniel for so many years and it makes me so happy that many more get to be part of his journey! Much Love!

[@jinst3r]

So inspiring. Thank you.

[@ta.bespoke]

Definitely a proud moment for the community! ❤

[@hemangmistry8111]

That’s wonderful Vinu!

[@saranbhatia8809]

Wonderful talk!💯

[@shemikawilliams4274]

Thank you for this reassurance; I'm just ahead of my time. Beautiful, soul filled, living, livable art.

[@SS-yt9ie]

Another man's junk is another man's treasure. BRAVO!!!!

[@raymondlopez3919]

WOW! THIS IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO AND HOW WE SHOULD DEFINE OUR FUTURE!

[@krtign99]

soo impressive, one of the best ted talks i've seen

[@willm5814]

Beautiful, sustainable and low cost!!!

[@mmendi1114]

Absolutely magnificent.....

[@Bythirteen]

AMAZING, THANK YOU.

[@danielcaceres9971]

Amazing work

[@ArunSasidharan]

Vinu daniel .... you are an absolute gem of a person... lets all find better use cases for waste products so that we can make this planet a heaven once again... 🙂

[@aakashraghani2021]

This was one of the best videos available online ❤ Much needed realisation and much needed break from the current ongoing practices.

[@saranbhatia8809]

Fantastic 💯

[@sandeepjuvvala]

EXCELLENT😊

[@nicholas_obert]

Great approach to building. The problem with reusing plastic this way, however, is that it will degrade over time and eventually wash into waterways. It's just hiding the problem inside building walls. Not all materials are suitable for every application.

[@sucui3285]

When you are caught between a rock and a hard place like the case of plastic wastes in India, someone has too choose the less evil. Of course a better treatment for plastics should still be researched and executed in future

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

How would plastic built into a structure wash away? Plastic disintegrate into micro plastics when it's exposed to elements. So we cannot say any and all recycled plastic will end up as microplastics in waterways. What we can say for sure is, plastic dumped out without recycling it into a value generating product, would most definitely end up as microplastics in the waterways. Recycling into objects away from elements would however, prolong it eventually ending up as microplastics in waterways. The only way to convert plastic into something doesn't end up as microplastics in waterways, is to turn it back into petrochemicals and backfill spent oilwells

[@alex62965]

I suppose it is better than leaving it out on the ground where it's more likely to wash into waterways

[@gumdal1985]

Appreciate the thought of building with mud + lime (instead of cement). However, using plastic bottles / discarded tires though reduces the dumping issue but it comes with it's own cost. Quoting the drawback of Earthship (using tires - Micheal Reynold's) for anyone who is interested and want to pursue, please be aware of this: "The tires of an Earthship may release brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) into the air of an Earthship, which is a synthetic material derived from petrochemicals that is toxic to humans through long-term exposure."

[@user-tp7yp3oj6i]

❤ modern and beautiful

[@NA_49erFan]

Super up cycling! Awesome!

[@voiceoffarooq6810]

Very impressive Vinu. I didn't think that 5% cement mud brick would be that strong.

[@manubhatt3]

Are you a civil eng.?

[@voiceoffarooq6810]

@@manubhatt3 yes. Haven't worked with mud or cement mud mixture.

[@manubhatt3]

@@voiceoffarooq6810 Then you should consider doing Bachelor of Architecture

[@AftabAlam-yw4eq]

Awesome.

[@shirleydanthi8522]

Beautiful thoughts and efforts. Help me build one eco friendly house with a cool design some day

[@monarchbarbhaya7597]

This is a great idea! How can I help with this? Can I invest in their project? I want to learn how I can contribute to such a positive change

[@nitreall]

great ending!

[@anakellidecarvalho4531]

Congratulations!

[@barristophilliesiii5863]

Awesome

[@asawerabbood]

this mans brain is brilliant

[@rntalgaonkarvlogs]

Great 👍👍

[@sunilkumar-br2gz]

Bringing Revolution through Imagination

[@riccininaclaudio8785]

Dream home❤❤

[@mrgyani]

Incredible. 👏 I just have an issue with the last one. Isn't using tyres for construction, expensive?

[@vaibhavpandey9641]

watch again

[@pavanb.n4909]

Vinu daniel & team

[@jainishbhatt4689]

Revolution for mudbrick buildings in India💌 .

[@Crime-Politics]

Thank you for the presentation. Please get your people and volunteers out on the refugee trail.

[@user-nt8gk8ht5o]

I think this is good idea.I want to see buiding with mud and trash.

[@rohanxdavis]

Love from one Keralite to another 🙏🏽

[@lijokurian5282]

Through this method the plastic and tyres are used and being covered up by mud... Basically its not seen out...but the plastic or rubber which is non biodegradable exists inside the building. After few years once the client or the next generation wants to demolish this building and build another...this becomes back to landfill waste again unless the new building is constructed the same way covering the waste materials inside the mud. What is the solution to prevent it? How is it eco-friendly?

[@xaviersiby4801]

Not to be hateful here, but not everything Vinu says is true. I'm an Architect based in Kerala like he is and I've been to the Auroville earth institute expecting to learn this technology as well. But I was surprised to learn from Mr. Satprem Maini who Vinu acknowledges is his mentor that CSEB (compressed stabilized earth block) construction is infact more expensive than conventional concrete equivalents. I'm not trying to discredit Vinu for his efforts and inspiration but his projects are essentially vanity projects that have massive cost and time overruns. You can ask his many unpaid interns who are disillusioned into thinking that this is a very efficient method of construction. Also by Vanity, I mean that it's a his practice hides behind a sharade making people believe that this technology could be employed en-mass but even the mud used sometimes is not from the locality because it's chemical composition may not be applicable. This system is expensive because it is highly labour intensive to create the bricks and not because of the embodied energy of the brick. Laurie Baker another great self made architect in Kerala is a true role model unlike this liar. Mr. Baker believed that technology should be shared and materials easily available but most importantly be affordable to the poor if it hopes to be used by everyone. His buildings though for the poor have inspired a generation of architects like Vinu and myself to explore this field.

[@cerenosimoes1587]

It is pretty obvious that such labour-intensive techniques will not be so efficient in terms of cost. Don't get lost in the details, take the ideas and run with it.

[@Okkannashukracharya]

I always had my doubts in these glorified "earth friendly ". It looks good may be has good vibes in it. Thanks for shedding light

[@kgopikrish]

Hope you got some satisfaction by posting this comment.

[@Rissen_]

​@@cerenosimoes1587But to carry out the idea you have to solve the little issues. Otherwise its just a dream that doesnt get achieved. Whos going to get a million dollars: person who day dreams of a million dollars or the person who is thinking about a solution to little issues to get his money up and avoid too much taxation etc. Probably the one with a plan, and not the one day dreaming about the idea.

[@ashfaqkaliar2987]

❤

[@voiceoffarooq6810]

Have you though of 3D printed mud house?

[@ib2fathah668]

THE LEGEND ❤❤🤎🤎 DEBRIS MAN ✨

[@Be_urself_education]

I love my india 🇮🇳

[@namtrinhquoc7465]

My friend, is there a significant difference between putting a mud brick in water for 50 years versus putting it in a sealed box and leaving it outdoors in cramped conditions that can easily grow mold or plants?

[@muhammed.a.k]

😍😍😍😍

[@dattuprasad190]

Hi all... today what we are calling traditional constitution, I am leaving at same. My house is 200 yrs back . I am the 5 th generation kid. She is very eco friendly, very patience,in this heat era she making me to cool even peak summer with out Air condition. I am really wounding that with out any repairs my house is still alive . I would like to re construct with new pattern.

[@WesleyMatthew]

Congratulations on being TIME' 100 most influential people in the world

[@invox9490]

Bless this man, but this is such good bussiness than I don't see it being available (or afordable) for most indians.. Or even the most people around the world.

[@stephaniep847]

🙌

[@praveenmali3352]

Great ! 🎩🎩 off

[@jdlamb4212]

After the first pictures I thought "SOLD"

[@Be_urself_education]

I think sir is from Kerala state..🤔

[@Orb_info]

👍

[@AakashVijayPC]

Malayalee Represent !!!

[@Redeye-yl8yt]

why reupload?

[@BlueBloxRoblox]

who knows

[@garciavashchino1]

🤯

[@kifa7878]

This is extremly perfect

[@tremblence]

I had this idea to turn trash into bricks for construction like 10 years ago Ends up I was right

[@keepgoing6430]

Give sft rate

[@sunil-Goldenpalms]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@elenakashintseva8330]

Wonderful ❤❤❤

[@BlueBloxRoblox]

Ahh yes, minecraft dirt house

[@alanc6752]

Amazing.

[@muntazarrizvi9795]

Nothing in this world is waste.

[@dwindlebunny]

It's great that this video is spreading awareness, but cob and other earth homes have been made all around the world for thousands of years. This technology is ancient, and proven effective.

[@april7565]

inspired

[@JS-wu9pi]

Inspiration least some people are still trying to make a better world

[@teslaecotech7076]

93 comments 64,000 views for something like this.

[@storiesbyvishnu]

90,000 $ 🤔

[@BlueBloxRoblox]

Cost effective

[@storiesbyvishnu]

@@BlueBloxRobloxI don’t think so

[@storiesbyvishnu]

@@BlueBloxRobloxI don’t think so

[@BlueBloxRoblox]

@@storiesbyvishnu $348,126. The average United States home value is $348,126. That is too good for me or 90.000 $ is big in India

[@storiesbyvishnu]

@@BlueBloxRoblox There is nothing cost effective about building a 90,000 dollar mud house in India. Only a premium segment of the population here can actually afford that.

[@DS_architects]

❣

[@Ayanda846]

In South African Rural areas we use mud to build houses. It's a mix of houses made with mud and those that are made from bricks. But now that more people are working, everyone is building morden houses

[@wladimirbetcher]

consucktion struck in any language and accent

[@sumanbhandari2020]

So, all it takes is a sensitive mind..

[@user-sr8hc5fk1w]

poo

[@sandeepsherwin1154]

Mr Vinu sir i want to build a house in mud plastering and if possible by Rammed earth can you suggest me how to go further and can you give me your contact nu

[@amarnavas1772]

❤

[@kantsagurung175]

❤