This eco-friendly house in TVM has rustic exteriors and cool interiors

Jo and Athira wanted a classy abode in their 4.5-cent plot at Manvila in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala without burning a hole in their pocket. Moreover, they wished for an eco-friendly home with cool and cosy interiors.

The architects tried to keep a tab on the expenses as the family didn’t want their dream abode to push them into an abyss of severe financial liability. In the initial stages of construction, they were able to save a significant amount of money by wisely choosing the building materials. For this, more than 15,000 blocks were procured from old buildings that were demolished. These have been used to construct the structure of the house. The walls aren’t plastered or painted to retain the rustic charm of the earthy blocks.

Meanwhile, the windows, doors and door frames too were bought from old buildings to save some extra amount in furnishing. The roof is built in the filler slab technique using old mud tiles.

There is a living area, dining space, courtyard, kitchen with a work area and a bedroom on the ground floor. Meanwhile, there are two more bedrooms and a balcony on the upper floor.

The circular open courtyard in the centre is the soul of the house. The interiors have a pleasant atmosphere as the hot air is pushed out of the open courtyard roof. The in – built sitting area makes this a cosy spot where you could enjoy tranquillity. During the day time, sunlight enters the house lavishly to naturally light up the interiors.

Instead of tiles, oxide flooring has been done to exude an old-world charm. Meanwhile, traditional floor tiles have been paved on some areas. The kitchen cupboards and the wardrobes in the bedrooms are done in ferro cement.

As the house has un plastered walls and open interiors, the house is cool and delightful even during noon. Moreover, there is no need to switch on the fan, thereby saving extra on the electricity bills.

This beautiful house, including the structure and furnishing, was completed on an extremely affordable budget of Rs 25 lakh. The fact that the construction was done for just Rs 1600 per square feet even when the cost of construction and building materials is soaring is truly impressive.

Project Facts
Locatin – Mavila, Thiruvananthapuram
Plot – 4.5 cents
Area – 1500 SFT
Owners – Jo and Athira