Ceramic art graduate’s tile design helps reduce echo

Another graduate has developed designs that use less cement and sand mixture

LAHORE: Two of the five Ceramic Design graduates at the National College of Arts (NCA) have prepared innovative floor and wall tiles as part of their theses.

Syed Ali Rehan Rizvi’s thesis includes eight terracotta tile designs purpose-built to fix sound echo issues at lecture halls, conference rooms and mini-auditoriums.

The Acoustic Control Ceramic Tile Solution features sound diffusers to bring down decibels to a comfortable level.

“My work deals with acoustics and built surfaces,” Rizvi says. He says he has also completed a three-year associate engineer’s diploma. “I’m interested in working on built surfaces. The diffusers I have made can pass for murals,” he says.

Sania Naveed has developed a tile preparation method needing 40 per cent less cement and sand mixture compared to the current standard. She says the use of a compound made from recycled sanitary waste has enabled her to do so. Based on several tests conducted on these tiles, she says she’s convinced that their durability is around two per cent more than standard tiles available in the market. She has named her product Tough Tiles. “The use of such tiles will help cut construction cost. I have pitched the idea to some sanitary product manufacturers in Gujranwala,” she says. Naveed says she has also filed a request to obtain a patent for the product.

Of the 50 pieces she has made for her thesis, 35 are on display at the NCA.

The three other theses on display till January 22 feature glazed-clay bird baths, terracotta prototypes of musical instruments, and clay stoves.

Muneeb Khan says his research on garden accessories led him to make birdbaths for his thesis. “My research suggests that most customers are not satisfied with the design of birdbaths available in the market,” he says.

Khan says he studied features of native bird species like their feet and leg sizes before finalising the design of the birdbaths. He says that some models feature a drainage system as well as room to keep bird food. “A study suggests that two out of 10 birds are likely to die of dehydration. I hope the innovative design of my birdbaths will encourage more people to keep them in open spaces at their houses,” he says.

Kalsoom Mehmood, who belongs to Quetta, says that through her work she intends to revive interest in borindo, a musical instrument associated with the Indus Valley civilisation.

She says that besides borindo she has studied fipple flute, bansuri and ocarina before preparing the prototypes. She says the design of hand whistles was also one of her inspirations.

After experimenting with various designs, Mehmood says she has learnt the art of altering bass and pitch of music produced by an instrument.

Some of her prototypes have been made using hollowed hen and duck eggs.

“I had to study ergonomics and physics of air pressure for this. My study shows that flat surfaces produce best results. They are easy to hold and produce better quality music,” she says. She says she also tried working with an ostrich egg but it did not work.

Yamna Baig has made firewood clay stoves.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2016.