Sabu and his family lives in a stunning house in the beautiful countryside of Kumbalangi that has the charming creeks where rows of Chinese fishing nets and the lush greenery that make an enchanting sight. This was, earlier a single-storied house built on a 4.5 cents plot. However, the house would often get flooded during the time of the high tides. This prompted the family to construct an upper storey. They had been looking for designers who could help them build an additional floor without spending too much money.
It ended at the Atus design studio in Kochi which successfully designed and built the structure just like the way family had wished. As the soil in the place has so much moisture, constructing a concrete plastered floor above the existing structure was quite challenging. So, fibre cement boards have been used here. Civil works using bricks are done only in the spots where pipes are installed. The construction was completed in just a short period of time, as expert workers were brought to build the floor. Considerable amount of time and money were saved by adopting this building technology as sand and stones aren’t used.
The family shifted their residence to the newly constructed first floor that has all the facilities, as the ground floor often gets flooded. A truss roof has been installed above it, making space for building another floor that could accommodate up to 3 rooms. There is a common area, living space, dining area, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and an adjacent work area on the first floor.
The spaces have been designed by strictly following the rules of the vastusastra. Vertical space patterns are mostly featured in the interiors as there is a shortage of space. All the windows are made of UPVC pipes. The furniture is custom-made that perfectly suits the design and theme of the interiors. Cuttings in decorative patterns are done on the ceiling and are highlighted with pleasant lighting.
The kitchen has been designed in L-shape to meticulously utilize the spaces. The cupboards here are done in multi-wood. Meanwhile, nano white is paved on the counter top and on the dining table as well. Benches are used here instead of chairs to save space.
Both the bedrooms are designed by smartly utilizing the spaces. Neutral shades of hues dominate the interiors making the spaces look extremely pleasant and comfortable. Besides, this has helped the spaces look vaster and spacious as well. Tiles, which suit the general theme of the house, are paved on the floor.
The construction of this floor was completed on a reasonable budget of Rs 17 lakh. There is space in the truss roofed upper area, which can be turned into another floor, in the future.
The designers say that a fool - proof planning and execution was required as the electric works in this house had to be done simultaneously while the cement boards were fixed. This Kumbalangi house becomes the real ‘hero’ as it is built in an environment-friendly way, without clearing the lush greenery or mining sand from the lake.
Project Facts
Location – Kumabalangi, Kochi
Area – 850 SFT
Plot – 4.5 cents
Owner – Sabu
Year of completion – 2019
Design – Atus Design Studio, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi
PH - 9895757686, 9995660167
Budget – Rs 17 lakh
