This Kerala house design called ‘Dr. Mukundan House’ was for a family of five: a young couple with two kids and their grandparents. This project was introduced just before the 2018 Kerala floods. The experience of this devastating flood left everyone fearful and uncertain, especially those who were planning to build a house. The house to be designed was expected to mitigate mild flooding situations simultaneously; on normal days, it would be just a simple house without showing any hint of being built for any purpose like this.

Editor’s Note: “This flood-resilient home in Kerala designed by RGB Architecture Studio is simple yet functional and incorporates elevated floors, rainwater harvesting, and solar panels. Designed around the microclimatic conditions of the site with careful material choices, natural venting, and terraces, the home offers sustainability while responding to modernity and traditional influences.” ~ Anusha Sridhar

The Kerala House Design Is Resilient to Floods and Rooted in Simplicity | RGB Architecture Studio

Site Location

A typical residential site in a dense urban neighborhood is a dead-end lane with a vacant plot on the west and residences in the other plots. A temple and a sacred grove, densely vegetated, stood beyond the western neighboring plot.

Design Form

It is assumed that this forest-like nature will be preserved without any damage for a long duration as it’s a matter of faith to retain this environment intact. The key idea for driving the form is based on the microclimate that evolved from this environment.

Interior Spaces

The house was designed to draw cool wind from the west and to accommodate all important activities. This central open area integrated all public activities like a congregation, dining, cooking, TV watching, studying, entertainment, partying, and a large party area. To connect both main levels, the design includes an in-between level, pausing the movement between them. Moreover, this space serves as a living and cooking area in case the lower floor becomes inundated.

The same section was also made to make distinct experiences during different parts of the day. The yard on the west, facing the greenery, was the direct link to the outdoors. That made a very natural spillover of activities from inside to outside.

Being an urban insert, the house had limited open space. The lost open space was reborn as terraces. The entry level has the grandfather’s room and all other main functions.

The concept of mitigating floods led to making a small kitchen and living area as an intermediate level between upper and lower levels.

Staircase Design

The cavity formed below became a rain harvesting tank. This level served as a connector of the two main levels, and the stairs in between became very light and insignificant, leading to a seamless connection between floors.

A very thin floor hovers above the lower living and dining, serving as an activity area with a study and gym. That scaled down the double height and, being a tensile structure, gave the necessary lightness. Bedrooms on top had an additional layer of metal sheet roofing above the concrete, sloping at the angle needed for solar panels.

This also stopped the heating up of the concrete slab and kept the room reasonably cool. The remaining terrace at that level was a fully approachable, functional terrace for any activity. The bedrooms on the west had a layer of screen around them, blocking the powerful western sun but also letting in a breeze. The space in between worked like a balcony.

Architectural Features

The traditional formal response to this particular climatic zone is an overwhelming roof form, which has stood the test of time. However, newer contexts and constraints demand newer forms. In Dr. Mukundan’s Kerala house design, large roof overhangs and screens, crafted with cement board, compressed wood (a product of Western India Plywood), and bamboo mat, control heavy rains and shield against the western sun.

A double-height volume with perforated MS sheet openings allows ventilation to happen without any hindrance all the time. It also prevents mosquitos, which are very common during the evenings—a large overhang on the west controls solar incidence. Vegetation in the neighborhood and inside the plot filtered the light and mellowed down lashing rain.

Roof Design

The flat roof collected rainwater and stored it in the space below the elevated floor. Solar panels on the sloped roof above bedrooms generate about 8KW of power, fed into the power grid. This keeps the power bill almost zero every month.

Fact File

Designed by: RGB Architecture Studio

Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

Project Name: Dr. Mukundan House

Location: Kollam, India

Year: 2021

Project Size: 3000 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Niranjan Das Sharma

Design Team: Manoj P.

Photograph Courtesy: Prasanth Mohan & Running Studios

Manufacturers:  Western India Plywood

Construction Team: Jothi and Team

Landscape Architects: On The Soil Architects

Design Team: Ar. Jacson

Technical Team: Manoj P.

Source: ArchDaily

Firm’s Website Link: RGB Architecture Studio

Firm’s Instagram Link: RGB Architecture Studio

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