Joy is settled in Bahrain and he is now delighted for having fulfilled his dream of building a house of his own in his hometown at Meladoor near Chalakkudy, Thrissur, Kerala. The family wanted a cost-effective house that doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket. Moreover, they wished their brand-new house to welcome oodles of cool breeze and natural sunshine. Besides, they needed space design in a way that makes maintenance hassle-free. The owner had clear ideas about the kind of house that he wanted when he roped in noted architect Santilal of Costford who is a pioneer in promoting eco-friendly homes in Kerala.
The sloping roof of the elevation perfectly suits the tropical climate of Kerala. Interestingly, a handful of eco-friendly designs and materials have been featured on this house. The floor has been constructed with hard rocks sans concrete. Meanwhile, the walls are built using laterite stones.
A unique mixture of sand, jaggery and terminalia chebula has been used to plaster these walls. Moreover, the walls are painted with a natural mixture of sand and lime. This helps the walls don an earthy tone while adding a rustic ambience. Interestingly, it plays a major role maintaining a pleasant atmosphere inside the house by reducing the heat. A unique technology called the filler slab method has been utilised to build the ceilings of both floors.
Designed in 2800 SFT, this eco-friendly abode has a classy sit-out, formal living area, dining space, prayer area, inner courtyard, kitchen with an adjacent work area and two bedrooms on the ground floor. Meanwhile, there are two more bedrooms and a balcony on the first floor. The interior spaces are open and have been designed to make communication seamless and hearty. The living areas, dining space and kitchen are designed in perfect harmony.
The inner courtyard is the soul of the interiors. The areas are designed in the open style, around this space. The open ceiling of the courtyard brings cool rain showers and golden sun rays into the house. Besides, the hot air inside the house is pushed out through the open ceiling which is secured with iron bars. Interestingly, the courtyard could be turned into a stylish waterbody too. The four pillars around the courtyard are made with laterite stones. Meanwhile, the timber panelling on the pillars adds a classy elegance to this area. The wall close to the courtyard has been turned into a prayer space by pasting beautiful cladding and panelling works.
The simple kitchen is space efficient and easy to maintain. The construction of this beautiful house, including the structure and furnishing, was completed on a pocket-friendly budget of Rs 44 lakh. Interestingly, the house was built in stages and took almost four years to complete. The construction had begun in 2018 and the housewarming ceremony was held last year. The works were done as and when Joy and family were in Kerala for the holidays. Meanwhile, the price of the building materials soared which was reflected in the budget too. However, this is still profitable especially when it would cost at least Rs 60 lakh to build a house that has an area of 2800 sqft.
Joy, his wife and three kids plan to return to Kerala and live at his dream abode soon. The family is elated that they would soon be moving into their eco–friendly house that boasts all the modern amenities.
Project Facts
Location – Meladoor, Chalakkudy
Owner – Joy
Area – 2800 SFT
Designer – Santilal
Costford Triprayar Centre, Thrissur
Ph: 9747538500
Year of completion – 2022
