Noted architect G Shankar has come up with an incredible model of a house which could effectively resist floods and other natural calamities. The Habitat Group headed by Shankar has built a house in just a one cent of a plot at the police guest house compound near Jagathy DPI junction in Thiruvananthapuram.
The house was built on a budget of Rs 5 lakh and the construction was completed in just 23 days. The 495 sqft house has 3 stories, and it stands on pillars built with treated bamboo, mud and concrete. The ground floor which is built at a height of almost 6 feet can be turned into a car porch, stable or even a study area.
There is a living area, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom on the first floor and there another bedroom on the second floor. The third floor, which is a terrace space, can be easily converted into a room as well. In case of floods, the inhabitants of the house can stay on the third storey comfortably until they are evacuated.
Mud bricks which could be interlocked are used to build the structure. A cement plastering is done as high as 10 feet to prevent the walls from seeping in moisture. Recycled mud tiles, coconut shell and treated bamboo too were used in the plastering. Ceramic tiles which are not costly are paved on the floor. The architect claims that the construction of the house including the painting was done in just Rs 4.75 lakh.
Shankar said that he had designed the house based on his experience of working in areas that are prone to natural calamities like tsunami and earth quake. The construction which began on 7th September 2018 was completed within just 23 days.
Sankar assures that this house too would last long just like any other concrete structure. In his Facebook page, the architect has shared the picture of the newly constructed model house.