Bringing nature home
| For homes to look good, they should merge with the surroundings. One
way of doing this is to preserve as much of the surroundings, including
trees, as possible, while designing your house. |
It is not the looks alone that make a house extraordinary. It is also
important that it merges well with the surroundings and does so in a graceful
manner.
Kochi-based architect S. Gopakumar is of the opinion that
"the property needs to belong to the place."
"Whenever we build anything, we are going against
nature. So do not over-build," says Mr. Gopakumar. Hence minimalistic
architecture needs to be practised. Build only what you need, he points out. The
general tendency is to build up a large area most of which sometimes lies
unutilised, he says.
Eco-friendly
Pravin Gopalan, joint secretary of the Graduate Association
of Civil Engineers, says designing the structure according to available terrain
without extensive cutting or filling helps in retaining the flora and fauna.
This not only minimises damage to the ecology, but also helps save costs, he
adds. The onslaught of construction is a burden on the earth. If a house is
designed in such a way that it requires minimum filling, the indirect result
will be a check on denudation of hilly areas which are excavated for red earth.
If a design is sensitive to the terrain, it also helps in
improving the water retention capacity of the ground, which helps in maintaining
the groundwater table levels.
A hilly terrain can be used innovatively, while building a
house. In fact, such practices like designing the entrance to a house on a
higher plane with the kitchen and bedrooms at a lower level is popular in hilly
terrain, said Mr. Gopalan. These ideas have been adopted in some parts if Kochi,
such as Kakkanad, where the terrain is hilly.
A solution
What would one do if there is a tree in the middle of the
plot? Architects have some answers to that too. A little innovation is all that
it takes, says Mr. Gopalan.
Since courtyards have become very popular, it would help to
retain the tree with a courtyard around it.
The house can be built around it. A rock, perhaps can add
beauty to the garden you have. A sit-out can be designed to include the rock as
part of the garden.
Even water bodies can be conserved with such innovative
ideas, says Mr. Gopalan. "This would not only help one to be sensitive to
the eco system but also give buildings a character of their own," says Mr.
Gopalan.
Mr. Gopakumar says that being environment-friendly does end
with avoiding cutting trees. There are numerous ways to save the environment and
it has to start with each home.
Waste management and drainage are important too. The
reutilisation or recycling of solid and liquid waste from a house would be
ideal, he says. "Zero waste should be a way of life," he adds. Energy
conservation is another way to be eco-friendly. Exploring the solar energy
option will help.
SHYAMA RAJAGOPAL
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
