Rasheed, an expatriate, is elated to share his experiences of building his dream dwelling at his hometown in Valancherry in Malappuram, Kerala. It was just last month that the family celebrated the joyous occasion of the housewarming ceremony. Rasheed says he was inspired by an article that appeared in the home style feature in Manorama Online. The story was about noted architect Unais’ house that he himself had designed at Tirur. The family was then determined to entrust Unais with the construction of their house as well. However, a plan had already been drawn and the construction had begun by that time. Interestingly, the construction of the foundation was completed when Unais came onboard this project. Soon, the works resumed with a few modifications in the plan.
The family wanted to construct the structure in the 8 cent plot by leaving enough space for a vast front yard. Unais’ house had mud walls, but Rasheed wasn’t interested in building a mud house. Moreover, he wanted the interiors to be cool and comfortable as well. An incredibly talented and experienced architect, Unais found a brilliant solution to meet his client’s demands. The walls were given a coat of cement texture before applying an earthy shade of colour, both on the interiors and the exteriors. At a glance, these walls look like mud walls. Filler slab technology has been used to build the roof to reduce heat inside the house. Meanwhile, tiled paved GI truss roof has been installed above the sloped roof. There are ceilings below these roofs. Huge metal windows are the highlight of the elevation. Besides, there are small air vents as well, to fill the interiors with cool air. All these features also act as attractive design elements on the exteriors.
Designed in 2100 sq ft, this fabulous abode has a sit-out, formal and family living areas, dining area, and kitchen with work area, four bedrooms and a balcony. The living and the dining areas have double height ceiling. The space above the living area has been turned into a study area for kids. A beautiful L-shaped couch is what adorns the formal living area. A TV too has been arranged here.
There are two stairways in this house. A smaller stairway leads to the study area. The main stairway, meanwhile, features GI framework which is classy and chic.
The dining area is closer to the main stairway. Meanwhile, the family living space is just beside this area. The wall here is lined with windows made in GI frame. Lots of natural light and cool breeze enter the house through these windows. The custom-made furniture pieces are made using high quality materials. The flooring done in vitrified tiles add to the elegant ambience of the interiors.
“I was greatly inspired by the beautiful lighting at Unais’ house. Small bottles were wired with coir to make the light frames. Similar theme has been adopted in my house as well. Old beer bottles and other bottles have been turned into splendid light frames. These light fittings fill the interiors with an incredible and unique charm,” says Rasheed excitedly.
The bedrooms are simple yet elegant. The bath attached bedrooms have in – built wardrobes for storage.
There isn’t any partition that separates the kitchen and the work area. The kitchen cupboards, meanwhile, are made in ferro cement with multi-wood finish. The counter top has been paved with black granite.
The family had wished to complete the construction in just eight months. However, the works were delayed quite a bit due to the pandemic situation. But, the family is joyous that they could move into their brand new house this October. “We are grateful to Manorama Online for making this happen. We would have settled for another design had we not spotted Unais’ house in the feature. Our guests have nothing but great things to say about our house. We feel incredibly proud and happy hearing all those words of admiration,” concludes Rasheed.
Project Facts
Location – Valanchery, Malappuram
Area – 2100 SFT
Plot – 8 cents
Owner – Rasheed
Designer – Unais Ahmed
Floret Builders, Tirur
Mob – 9847668944
Year of completion – October 2020
Pictures – Ajeeb Komachy