JOIN USA house that is sustainable, cost-effective and aesthetic... Monalika Nanda writes about the design elements of this Vidyaranyapura home.
It is very interesting to note how young couples are making a difference to the city, thanks to their keen interest in how to make their space and lifestyles sustainable at their individual levels. To most of them, the size of the plot has not mattered.
No green certification or any other carrot has driven this, other than their concern for the environment. This, in turn, creates a lot of awareness among their peer group and their future generations about how to be aware and respond to their immediate surroundings.
It was the same case with Ramya and Sudhindra who own a 1,500-sft plot in Vidyaranyapura. The locality is divided mostly into similar sites. The source of water is borewells or private tankers which are the only source of water in many parts of our City.
Every other house next to it is built to the brink of their own sites, leaving no scope for oxygen generating pockets. Another challenging factor was a provision shop about two houses away!
The couple wanted a sustainable, Vastu-compliant and a cost-effective house. In keeping with their needs, the design looked at creating a garden at the back to which the main hall opened.
This also ensured that there was privacy from those who came to the shop nearby. A bay window with a blank wall towards the shop and opening to other side provided extra space inside the bedroom.
The parking area for their car in front of the house has a large sump tank underneath with a capacity of 15,000 litres. The area also has a small stone bench under a stone arch.
The inside is a pretty much open space with the dining and kitchen areas being separated by a low wall and a twisting stone pillar.
There is a bedroom in the ground floor with no level differences, ideal for the elderly. The kitchen opens to a utility which can be accessed by the house help from outside as well.
A Jaisalmer staircase with a cement riser takes you to the first floor. The first floor has a skylit family space which opens to a balcony with plants.
This is in two levels with a space for study and library. The master bedroom is highlighted with a green textured mineral based paint and this too opens to a lovely tree on the road with a balcony on the south. The balcony serves as a warm winter sit-out and a shaded sit-out in summers. The walk-in wardrobe is also skylit. There is a children’s bedroom and a utility space at the back.
Also, there are provisions for rainwater harvesting. The roof top rainwater is collected into a sump below the parking area. There is also a recharge well which collects the water after the sump tank is full with the rainwater collected.
What makes the house?
The walls are made with stabilised mud blocks (SMB) and the feature wall in the living room has been built with rammed earth with horizontal grooves. Any kind of intentional or additional interior materials have been avoided to keep the costs low. SMB walls in other areas helped to avoid any plastering or painting and reduced the maintenance cost.
Roofs are made with jack arch panels roofings and hollow Hourdi blocks filler slab. This has helped to keep the building cooler as well apart from savings in steel and concrete.
This is also cost-effective. Some textured tiles used in flooring add that zing to the house.
The compound has been built with stabilised mud blocks. Chapdi stone with planter box add up to the floor area available outside for their planting passion. The wardrobes, kitchen cabinets are all of marine ply with colourful veneer on them to add some un-predictable hues in the interiors.