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Architects: RGB Architecture Studio
- Area: 3000 ft²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Prasanth Mohan, Running Studios
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Manufacturers: Western India Plywoods
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Lead Architects: Niranjan Das Sharma
Text description provided by the architects. The residence was for a family of five: a young couple with two kids and their grandparents. This project was introduced just before the 2018 Kerala floods. The experience of this devastating flood left everyone fearful and uncertain, especially those who were planning to build a house. The house to be designed was expected to mitigate mild flooding situations simultaneously; on normal days, it would be just a simple house without showing any hint of being built for any purpose like this.
Context—A typical residential site in a dense urban neighborhood is a dead-end lane with a vacant plot on the west and residences in the other plots. Beyond the western neighboring plot was a temple and a sacred grove, which was very densely vegetated. It is assumed that this forest-like nature will be preserved without any damage for a long duration as it's a matter of faith to retain this environment intact. The key idea for driving the form is based on the microclimate that evolved from this environment.
Conception - The house's core was planned to draw cool wind from the west and had to bring together all important activities. This central open area integrated all public activities like a congregation, dining, cooking, TV watching, studying, entertainment, partying, workout, and a large party area. An in-between level was planned to connect both main levels to pause the movement of levels - a living space and cooking space if the lower floor is inundated. The same section was also made to make distinct experiences during different parts of the day. The yard on the west, facing the greenery, was the direct link to the outdoors. That made a very natural spillover of activities from inside to outside.
Making - Being an urban insert, the house had limited open space. The lost open space was reborn as terraces. Entry level has the grandfather’s room and all other main functions. The concept of mitigating flood led to making a small kitchen and living as an intermediate level between upper and lower levels. The cavity formed below became a rain harvesting tank. This level served as a connector of the two main levels, and the stairs in between became very light and insignificant, leading to a seamless connection between floors.
A very thin floor hovering above the lower living and dining was inserted as an activity area with a study and gym. That scaled down the double height and, being a tensile structure, gave the necessary lightness. Bedrooms on top had an additional layer of metal sheet roofing above the concrete, sloping at the angle needed for solar panels. This also stopped the heating up of the concrete slab and kept the room reasonably cool. The remaining terrace at that level was a fully approachable functional terrace for any activity. The bedrooms on the west had a layer of screen around them, blocking the powerful western sun but also letting in a breeze. The space in between worked like a balcony.
Response to monsoon climate region - The traditional formal response to this particular climatic zone is an overwhelming roof form, which has stood the test of time. However, newer contexts and constraints demand newer forms. In Dr Mukundan’s house, the language is made up of large roof overhangs and screens made with cement board, Compressed wood ( a product of Western India Plywood), and bamboo mat to control heavy rains and the western sun. A double-height volume with perforated MS sheet openings allows ventilation to happen without any hindrance all the time. It also prevents mosquitos, which are very common during the evenings—a large overhang on the west-controlled solar incidence. Vegetation in the neighborhood and inside the plot filtered the light and mellowed down lashing rain. The flat roof collected rainwater and stored it in the space below the elevated floor. Solar panels on the sloped roof above bedrooms generate about 8KW of power, fed into the power grid. This keeps the power bill almost zero every month.
