Meethi was 3, Mishti was 9 and they were our clients. The house was to be made for them, as per their fancies and to appeal to their sensitivities. What if we not only use minimal cement, but also bring very less material from elsewhere! This earth has been on site since forever. It has endured the test of time. So it just made sense that this very earth becomes the house! And so, rammed earth became the technology of choice. One that uses only 6-8% of cement usually needed for normal construction.

In villages, people often build their houses using mud. Bringing the same idea into mainstream architecture, we built structural walls for the house by ramming earth excavated from the site itself. The earth provides thermal insulation, reducing energy consumption as well.And to add a fun element, like patterns seen in layered sand art, different natural oxides were used to create layered fluid patterns in the large monolith. The girls’ stone and shell collections, ones they had gathered over the years, were also added to the walls to preserve their fond memories.Keeping the clients’ sensitivities in mind, most of the other material used was also locally sourced and had a low carbon footprint. #vocalforlocal

Wood that’s already been used somewhere and is now waste, so upcycle wood. Taken from an old building that was being demolished, the wood was treated, cut and joined skillfully to create frames, doors and windows. Research around traditional lime plaster mixtures shows that there are recipes that filter out toxins from the air invited. We craftsmen who are specialists in these techniques, passed down through generations. And so, to further extend the “minimal cement” rule, we used lime plaster on the walls, toilet floors, basins, counter and walls.

A dynamic ceiling, one that changes with the weather and lets you experience the outside even while inside. Gaze and fantasize about patterns in the clouds, experience the rain which feels like a waterfall on your heads, stare at the moon and the stars all night! That’s the sloping glass ceiling that covers the double height living room. It lets diffused north light to flow through the house, giving it a cool and airy feeling. A slide that runs parallel 

to the main staircase going down from the first floor. And once made, not just Meethi and Mishti, but even adults loved the idea of sliding down to the ground floor! A secret room! One that has three different entries, but each is a mystery to find. Our clients’ excitement had no bounds when we discussed a guillotine door (which only they knew how to operate), a sliding door which looks just like the partition (but is required to let the adults in to clean), and a staircase which is a part of the bookshelf on the ground floor (but is actually a staircase leading into the secret room)! Next was an acrobatic bed in their room! A bed suspended from the ceiling, with a rope ladder going up and plenty of climbing and jumping opportunities. The bridge on the first floor ramps down to the girl’s room for an impromptu catwalk by the fashionista. And a few blackboards as partitions for you to pour your heart out. A hidden basin then! Looks just like the counters but lift a flap, out folds a mirror and there you have a basin. And sketches from their drawing books became grills for windows.