11/9/11

The Wall House

P blica ion: The Time Of India M mbai;Da e: J n 11, 2010;Sec ion: The Add e ;Page: 44

The Wall House should actually be called The Green House, feels Dhanishta Shah as she meets architect Anupama Kundoo who shows her around her home in Auroville
Anupama Kundoo wears many hats. An award winning architect, academician, researcher and writer, she probably has had a more holistic experience of architecture than many others in the field. But, the list does not end here. She is also an activist of sorts passionate about sustainability and green living, a cause that shows up in her work, research and writing . When I call her, she casually mentions that she gave birth to her second child a month and a half ago. But for a person who lives and breathes architecture, life has not stopped. She has embraced her work with the same enthusiasm. We get around to discussing her numerous projects. Ask her about her favourite project and she mulls over the question, considering it s a difficult queston with the immense body of work behind her.. However, she considers her residence in Auroville a project closest to her heart. When you are designing for yourself, there are no limits and no obstacles, she remarks. So, we narrow the focus on this place, also referred to as The Wall House . Indeed, the house exemplifies all that she believes in and practises. After all, it is based on extensive research, not only in eco-friendly building materials, but also techniques. At first glance, it looks like a beautiful brick house. The brick is achakal, locally manufactured and filled with lime cement mortar. The walls are exposed in this material and the need for any artificial finishing materials like paint is completely eliminated. It is a narrow 2.2m long vaulted space. All activities are arranged in a row, as if in a train. Long steps and terraced surfaces can be seen all around the house. The house has a double-height so as to allow for better air movement and ventilation to help keep it cool. It is oriented to the south east for optimal air circulation. The outer walls are thick for temperature regulation. Windows are also designed in layers. Water bodies are added to further cool the temperature of the house. Anupama has been careful in selecting materials to be used for the roof. If chosen carefully, they prevent accumulation of heat. Thus, there is a lot of emphasis on better insulation of the roof. Hollow clay tubes have been used in the roof, reducing the need for using steel. But the most striking feature of the house is that the boundaries between the inside and the outside are blurred. This house is full of spaces playfully interacting with each other and spilling over each other. It is difficult to tell where one begins and the other ends. Trees are integrated into the house, and seem as if they are a part of it. The bedroom has an extension of a water body! The open bathrooms seem to be more outdoor. The rough granite flooring, which is non-slip, also adds to this rustic look. To top it all, the southwest faade is a transparent wooden structure with a mesh to allow full sunset view. This further enhances the integration with nature. True to her commitment to using natural resources to the fullest, solar energy has been used in form of the solar water heater. I am eager to know how she experienced living in the house. I am not happy with the house, she says flatly. I am surprised, considering that the house finds mention even in the World Atlas of Contemporary Architecture . It functioned well for me when I was there. Now, I feel that it needs some more working on. For instance, now I need to make it more child friendly. But the process is more important that the product, she says. However, she does recall wonderful things about the house. There used to be a horse who entered the house every morning and went to my mother s room, where she fed him carrots! Such harmony with nature is indeed a luxury. Yet, the house remains a living model. I have tested many things in the house. The lessons I learn here will always be reflected in my next project, she remarks. Indeed, this is epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLeve a house where the walls breathe. Here, nature infuses itself within
1/4

11/9/11

The Wall House

reflected in my next project, she remarks. Indeed, this is a house where the walls breathe. Here, nature infuses itself within the dwelling. It is a place where the pride of being true to the environment and to one s cause, leads the house to stand tall! DESIGN PHILOSOPH Anupana is adverse to the attitude of segregating sustainable and green architecture from the other architecture. When I started out, this jargon did not exist. Architecture has to be sustainable. How can it be otherwise? she questions. This attitude is an integral part of her design philosophy. She believes that good design includes efficiency and sustainability. It s all a part of the package. Projects should be cost-effective. Low cost should not be restricted to the poor. Architecture should be much more than basic construction and problem solving. It should be uplifting and must move beyond the strain of structural elements.

Waterbodies like these are all around the house

An exterior view of the house

Open spaces are what this house is about

epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLeve

2/4

11/9/11

The Wall House

Large windows let in the light and the greener

Doors and windows are designed to enhance circulation of air

epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLeve

3/4

11/9/11

The Wall House

No need for paint. Elegant brick work ever where

epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLeve

4/4