Laya, Kolhapur
2014
wouldn't a house with minimal carbon footprint, be a joy to live in?
The main reason for leaving the large ancestral bungalow in the city was to create and live in a smaller, economical, energy efficient, socially and environmentally conscious house. The amount received from the sale of the large bungalow would be used to uplift the poor people and our environment.
Thus almost everything doors, windows, wood floor, wood strips on the facade, roof tiles, floor tiles, wood floor, false ceiling, stairs, roof structural steel, slab reinforcement torsteel, steel for gates & fencing, bricks, stones etc. used in this house is made from wasted, discarded or old materials from demolished buildings and scrap yards.
Maximum self sufficiency is achieved in water (through rain water harvesting and using sullage water for gardening) and electricity (by using led, by installing small photovoltaic panels and solar water heaters, with good natural lighting and ventilation, by not using air conditioners).
The built form of the house ensures a pleasant microclimate and a people friendly, natural spatial ambience.