Auroville Earth Institute

History and Today’s organization:

The Auroville Earth Institute (AVEI) was founded by Satprem Maïni with the support of HUDCO, Government of India, in 1989.

Over the last 30 years, AVEI has become one of the world’s top centres for excellence in earthen architecture, a leader in the research, development, promotion and transfer of earth-based building technologies. AVEI has worked in 36 countries to promote and disseminate knowledge in earth architecture, and has garnered fifteen awards for its work (four international awards and eleven national awards).

Since 1990, the Auroville Earth Institute has educated more than 13,000 people from 88 countries in sustainable building technologies and land management practices.

Global alliances:

The Auroville Earth Institute is the representative and resource centre for Asia of the UNESCO Chair “Earthen Architecture, Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development”. The Auroville Earth Institute is part of a world network with CRATerre (The International Centre for Earth Construction, France) and a number of other Indian and worldwide NGO’s.

Vision & Mission:

The activities of the institute include research and development of earthen technologies, training and education, publication and dissemination, and the following services offered within India and abroad: conferences, consultancy, architectural design and construction, heritage conservation, production of materials, and quality control testing.

The mission of the Auroville Earth Institute is:

• To revive traditional skills, and to link ancestral and vernacular traditions of raw earth construction with the modern technologies of stabilised earth.
• To enable and empower people to build their own dwellings using earthen techniques.
• To develop cost effective technologies, affordable to all.
• To respect our Mother Earth, while using its natural resources to build a sustainable future.
• To teach and practice sustainable resource management (for both human and natural resources).
• To demonstrate that earth, as a building material, can be used to create modern, progressive, eco-friendly and safe habitats.

 Leaders & Team: 

Under the supervision of Director Satprem and co-directors T. Ayyappan and Lara Davis, the AVEI team includes on average 3 architects, 2 researchers, 1 librarian, 4 masons, 9 workers and 5 other support staff members.