A GOAN GETAWAY

The 'Gaea'- A Cob house at Pattambi, Kerala, is quite a beautiful sight. Ar.Guruprasad Rane of Bhoomija Creations has created this home for his client and speaks about it.

- Ar. Guruprasad Rane

A beautifully created home is a heaven on earth indeed. And that is what was kept in mind when Ar. Guruprasad Rane of Bhoomija Creations did 'Gaea' - A Cob house at Pattambi, Kerala.

While the firm believes in putting the linearity of its thinking in the building designs, nature is not curbed by straight lines. "The concept for this home came from the desire to overcome these limitations of thought and to design the spaces for utility and aesthetics," he reveals.

Ar. Guruprasad reveals, "The site is at a village where the skyline has not yet transformed completely from tiled roof vernacular buildings to concrete boxes. As you approach the plot, you realise that the road divides the terrain into negative and positive slopes on either side. Designing on the slopes is tricky, therefore levelling is usually considered as a work around, which is but a sheer abuse of the beautiful red earth of Northern Kerala."

The site has 20% land, a gentle slope adjacent to a large field and fewer trees. The client desired a sustainable home. Thus, the firm decided to opt for a natural course of design and choose a mud house. "We wished to create magic with the materials people no longer value. We wished to create a house which will speak for itself of the unused potential of the soil we have, the beauty and comfort of our vernacular design elements and the aesthetic value we get from the honesty of material usage.