Residential
Terracotta house
The design for a farmhouse with a living, kitchenette and bedroom came with two main conditions – a strict timeline of 3 months and a very tight budget. All of the design decisions, choice of materials, and technique were in turn influenced by these requirements.
The site belongs to Sri Krishna Farms, an agricultural venture focussing on fruiting trees and vegetables. The farmhouse is located on the outskirts of the city of Trichy. It is meant to be a place for the clients, a middle-aged couple, to stay and overlook the activities of the farm.
Several design decisions were taken to save on the cost and time of materials and labour. The requirements were kept to a minimum based on necessity. An open courtyard connects the living area and the bedroom. Wrapped by a jaali wall, the courtyard offers views of the farm and the neighbouring landscape from the safety of the house.
"Several design decisions were taken to save on the cost and time of materials and labour"
The walls are made of load-bearing Porotherm blocks. The electrical and plumbing lines are laid within the profile of these blocks. Furthermore, the terracotta blocks are left without plaster except in high-maintenance areas such as the toilets and the kitchen. This saved a considerable amount of cost and time which would have otherwise been required for interior finishes.
Sloping roofs require only light waterproofing and the rainwater collected from the roof is stored in a 10,000-litre sump below the courtyard. This water is used for washing and in the toilets. Provision for future addition of solar panels is provided to take care of all the energy needs.
On the project management front, every detail, quantity of materials, and positions of electrical and plumbing points were all pre-thought and finalised before construction was even started. This ensured that the actual construction could happen without delay or cost overruns.
Project Details
Site
Reddymangudi, Trichy
Design
May 2022 – August 2022
Status
Built
Budget
20,00,000 INR
Program
Residence, farmhouse
Project type
Commission
Team
Chandranesan Pownraja, Kapilan Chandranesan, Krishnakumar Mahalingam, Saranya Selvakumar, Mounica Thirulogachanthar, Monisha Jeyakumar, Rajalakshmi Krishnaraj