Build your big dream small,
yet spacious
| A Costford initiative helped a city couple build their dream home on
three cents of land with lots of space all around and the interiors
quite spacious and airy. T. NANDAKUMAR visits the house and talks to the
proud owners. |
Photo: S. Mahinsha
BUILDING SMALL: The living room on the first floor of Binu Chandran's house
in Thiruvananthapuram.
Small but not cramped, compact yet airy and spacious - that was how Binu
Chandran and his wife wanted their house to be. Not a tall order for any
designer.
But the house had to be built on a plot less than three cents
on a narrow side street skirting the Palkulangara temple in the city.
Costford
design
Mr. Chandran, a Government official, and his wife Gayatri, a
teacher, had already worked out their ideas by the time they zeroed in on the
city-based Centre of Science and Technology For Rural Development (Costford) to
help design their dream house.
Though the small plot entitled them to setback relaxations,
they wanted open spaces to be retained all around the building. An inner
courtyard open to the sky was also a must.
And they insisted on a design that would ensure adequate air
circulation through the interiors.
"We decided the plot was ideal because it faces the
temple and away from the main road. The narrow street ensures that nobody would
park a vehicle in front of the house," says Mr. Chandran.
Costford director P.B.Sajan who worked on the project
realised that it would take some amount of imagination and ingenuity to
translate their requirements into reality. "Given the restrictions imposed
by the size of the plot, it was a challenge to live up to the expectations of
the family," recalls Mr. Sajan.
Dream and
budget
A year later, as Mr. Chandran and his family moved into
Prayag, their newly constructed red brick house, they were thankful to Costford
for coming up with a design that matched most of their dreams and their budget.
Every inch of available space in the 1,400 square feet
building was utilised without affecting the aesthetics or creating a cramped
atmosphere. The skilful use of cross-ventilation facilities ensures that the
whole house breathes easy.
Apart from the central courtyard, the jaalis on the outer
walls, a large slatted window on the first floor, gables on the roof and
carefully positioned skylights flood the house with enough natural light and
air.
The main door of the house opens into a compact drawing room
that leads to the centrally located kitchen and the dining room located at a
right angle. The landing on the first floor is a cosy living room with a sofa
and chairs.
"Right at the outset, we had decided that the TV would
be placed in the family space on the first floor," says Mr. Chandran.
Both the bedrooms are on the first floor and have attached
bathrooms. In typical Costford style, built-in seats have been provided in the
sit-out facing the gate, the drawing room and the bedrooms. The area under the
staircase on the ground floor has been converted into a small utility space.
Perfect
setting
The large openings into the courtyard make it possible for
anyone on the first floor to see and communicate with someone else in the
kitchen or the dining room below.
The rooms are carefully positioned to capture the light from
the courtyard, which has a bare earth floor permitting rainwater to percolate
down.
A wooden staircase that Mr. Chandran bought from one of the
many used goods shops in the city takes one to the study, the only room on the
second floor.
Utility
areas
The study opens out to a small terrace, which the family uses
to dry clothes. The room has a heavy double panel window, which was also bought
from a used goods shop. "Both the wooden staircase and the window blended
well with the overall structure," says Mr. Sajan.
The master bedroom on the first floor has a small extension
provided with a full-size slatted wood window facing the entrance of the house.
"Gayatri wanted this facility so that she could watch the daily Seeveli
procession within the temple," says Mr. Chandran.
Costford's technology helped to keep the budget within Rs.7.5
lakh. Only the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms have plastered walls. "We
used filler slabs for the roof and rat-trap walls to keep the cost low,"
says Mr. Sajan. The flooring of the house is a mix of terracotta and various
shades of oxide.
A neem tree near the entrance, adds a touch of natural beauty
to the house. The family is grateful that Costford managed to spare the tree.
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/pp/2007/02/24/stories/2007022400600100.htm
