Do we really need walls for homes, asks architect of 'A-frame' houses

PN Shinoop always loved music. So, after he finished his architecture studies, there was enough room to accommodate an attic in his mind. Shinoop and his wife Revathi formed a new house-building company called 'Attic Lab'. The small houses they are constructing for 3 cents and 5 cents are hugely popular on social media. Shinoop shares some of his ideas and thoughts on architecture.

'Tiny House' or small houses are making waves in Kerala...

For some reason, Malayalees prefer to put every penny in their budget while building a house. As the cost of land and raw materials increases, the size of the house decreases. But the long list of demands will remain unattended. That's why small houses with all the amenities, constructed in three or four cents, are making waves. But then, kindly don't call such homes budget houses, it so happens that when one person has a budget of 80 lakhs, another has a budget of 10 or 20 lakhs.

A-frame houses are awesome

Walls on all four sides and a roof on top are the general structure of houses in Kerala. If you knock down all the walls, you get a model like A in the English alphabet, that is why they are called A-frame houses. As the name suggests, the man is also a foreigner. Studies show that this model provides more stability to the house as there is no wall. The heat inside the house depends on what material is used. If you graze on sheets, it will be hotter. While preparing the interiors, you can reduce the heat by adding a layer of coconut husk. Brick roof tiles are a good model and also help in lessening the heat. It should be done without leaving any gaps. Or else it will rain inside.

Just a square or a triangle?

There are home builders who are hesitant to change the regular pattern and get a new one. However, there are houses with round and triangular rooms.

Want to see Vastu for your home?

Vastu is like a religion for the builders. There are those who believe and those who do not. Vaastu is also Kerala's own architecture called Thachu Shastra. It was formed according to the nature of ancient times. Those who need to believe it can do so.

Home automation is also the new wave

That’s going to cost you a lot of money. Home automation is the latest trend. It is a technology that will monitor and control home gadgets/appliances without human assistance. There is no switch on the wall. Wi-Fi devices play a major role in this technology. For example, just say 'fan on' and the fan will spin. There is also a technology that makes the fan rotate automatically by sensing the temperature in the atmosphere.

Mistakes Malayalees make while building a home

They will go to meet an architect to draw a house plan but when they hear the fee, they will have second thoughts. Instead, they will opt for using that fee amount in building the house. The loss due to the failure of the haphazard building plan will be ten times the fee. And what more? They will realize this only after the house is finished. There is rhythm and raga in housework too. Done right, every home is music.