Deepu, a native of Kannur and his wife Jaisna decided to settle in Kochi, Kerala owing to their professions. After living in rented houses for many years, the couple decided to purchase a plot here and construct a house of their own. As land is extremely costly in Kochi, they purchased a small plot in Palarivattom, which has an area of 3.2 cents. They were firm in their decision to build their dream dwelling within a reasonable budget, not exceeding Rs 35 lakh.
It was architect Shinto who gave shape to their dreams by designing an elegant house by meticulously utilizing spaces. The couple wanted to bring a slice of nature into the house, with abundant supply of natural light and air. Besides, it indeed was challenging to build a house with all the modern facilities in such a small plot, that too, within a moderate budget.
Shinto drew the perfect plan by keeping the demands and preferences of the family members in mind. “The construction began with lots of prejudices and anxieties. We were skeptical whether we would be able to build our dream home in such a small plot. But Shinto designed the house, more amazingly than we have imagined,” says Deepu.
The elevation is in the box style so that the flat roof could be of use for various purposes. A pergola with GI is done on the open roof where the family has set up a beautiful garden.
The car porch, sit-out, living and dining areas, kitchen and a bedroom are arranged on the lower floor. There are two bedrooms, a living space, leisure area, balcony and the terrace garden on the upper floor. The family was particular about building a house which perfectly accommodates spaces in the most amazing way.
The living and dining areas are part of the open hall. The living area, arranged on the first landing of the stairway, is the highlight of the interiors. A TV unit is arranged here. The sleek and unique carvings on the windows here is a designer feature which enhances the classy look of the exteriors. The wash area is arranged beneath the stairway wisely utilizing the spaces. Tiles with rustic finish are paved on the floor in the main areas of the house.
Glass doors line an entire wall in the dining area. Rolling shutters are installed to ensure safety. These glass doors open to the boundary wall. Lots of pleasant sunshine enters through these glass doors from the east direction and lights up the entire house during the day. It also lets in cool breeze which helps maintain a comfortable atmosphere inside the house. There is no need to switch on lights or fans in this house during the day time. The boundary wall is built by maintaining a distance of four feet from the structure. The space between the house and the wall has been turned into a beautiful vertical garden by installing pillars on the boundary wall using GI tubes.
An entire wall in the bedroom has been turned into wardrobe as the family wanted lots of storage spaces. The open kitchen is designed in multi wood and laminate finish. White stellar stone is paved on the counter top.
This charming abode is the perfect example of a house, built on a small plot, with wisely designed spaces which suits the needs of the family without compromising on the elegant look of it.
Factors which reduced the cost of construction:
Elevation designed in simple style
Area in square feet was reduced
Importance given to diligent utilization of spaces.
Interiors decorated in minimal style
Lighter shades used for interior walls
Limited conventional wood furnishing, used multi wood instead
Project facts
Location – Palarivattom, Ernakulam
Plot – 3.2 cents
Area – 1380 SFT
Owner – Dipu and Jaisna
Designer – Shinto Varghese, Concept Design Studio, Ernakulam
Mob – 9895821633
Budget – 35 lakhs
Year of completion – February 2019