An Ode To Recycling And The Environment

Built of recycled and eco-sensitive materials, the Debris House by Wallmakers displays a certain whimsy while advocating for alternate building technologies

- Ar. Vinu Daniel

Project: Debris House, Kerala;

Architects: Wallmakers, Kerala

A few years ago, this was a site littered with the remnants of several demolished buildings. Today, it features a striking rammed earth residence for a family of six. Nestled in a quaint township in Kerala and built on a slope, the Debris House maximises the given area the building is set in by sporting multiple levels to accommodate the family and to meet the client’s dreams in the most feasible way.

There is a lot of potential in arriving at the design sensibilities of small urban and suburban homes for clients who approach architects with limited budgets and elaborate plans. Houses are aspirational investments for many in the developing suburban landscape of India, sometimes demanding a lifetime worth of savings from the clients. Very different from weekend homes, these houses have become prototypes in themselves and act as pivots for the lives of the inhabitants.

The Debris House employs recycled and eco-sensitive materials in its making, while ensuring that the limitations of the materials are overcome and an expressive architecture is allowed to emerge from the constraints. The debris wall is built over a discovered foundation and with materials that are recycled from the site. The coconut shell filler slab enables the architect to reduce the use of concrete in the same. The small courtyard ensures ventilation and the windows are made from scrap but with a certain careful detailing. While the house uses numerous alternate technologies, there is a certain whimsy and playfulness in its design. The levels of the site are explored for connections within, and the house maintains a scale with sensitivity towards the neighbourhood.