Balasunda Kaushikan, had always desired to build a house in his village. In 2020, he erected ‘House of Gardens’ which saves 70% power by using solar energy.
Bengaluru-based architect Balasunda Kaushikan has built his Rs 55 lakh.house on a model of sustainability.
Kaushik, of Hanumanthanpatti in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district, had always desired to build a house in his village.
Kaushik had been working as an architect in locations such as Dubai, Mumbai, and Bengaluru for the past few years. He left his position in 2019 to start his own architectural practise in Bengaluru.
Kaushik, a 29-year-old architect, explained, “I used to live in a leased house in my village with my parents. So, when I began my company, I chose to realise my ambition of building my own sustainable home. My education and the experience I obtained over the years taught me that it is critical to choose sustainability in our lives.”
In 2020, he erected his dream house, dubbed ‘House of Gardens,’ on 12 cents in the 4 acres of his ancestral land at Hanumanthanpatti. The house with built with only locally produced materials that were environmentally friendly.
The building materials were sourced from regions within a 10-kilometer radius of the house, according to Kaushik, who believes in maintaining connected to his culture and traditions.
Aside from obtaining materials locally, Kaushik claims that he designed his house in such a way that there is natural light inside the house throughout the day.
Apart from passive solar ways, the house uses solar energy for everything save a few heavy-duty equipment such as the washing machine, mixer grinder, and so on, according to Kaushik.
He has reduced the monthly power consumption of House of Gardens by almost 70%, by employing solar energy.
According to Kaushik, the 3000-square-foot house was created utilising the rat-trap bond technology, which was pioneered by British-Indian architect Laurie Baker.
He goes on to describe it as a brick masonry way of constructing walls in which the bricks are stacked vertically, creating a cavity in the wall and thereby lowering the quantity of bricks and mortar used during construction.
To build his home, architect Kaushik used energy and cost-effective methods such as the rat-trap bond method and the filler slab method, among others.
Architect Kaushik developed his sustainable home using energy and cost-effective methods such as the rat-trap bond method and the filler slab method, among others.
Another sustainable technology he used was the load-bearing technique, in which walls are created as active structural elements of a structure rather than pillars. According to Kaushik, the load-bearing technique is quite cost effective.
When it comes to ventilation, Kaushik explains, “I am quite picky about lighting and ventilation. So I erected a large courtyard directly in the midst of the house, which serves to illuminate the interiors with natural light while also keeping the house cooler. Throughout the house, I’ve also used cross ventilation and the stack effect. These strategies promote improved air circulation, which keeps the house cooler.”
Kaushik’s family does not need an air conditioner inside, as It’s always 3 to 4 degrees cooler in the house than outside.
Instead of a septic tank, Kaushik has installed a biodigester soil tank for waste treatment. He claims that he has established a zero-waste approach in his home.
The biodigester tank degrades and turns human waste into water for gardening, and the methane gas produced is used in our kitchen.
Kaushik has also set up a biogas tank with a 10-litre capacity for managing kitchen trash. , The methane generated is enough to produce nice blue flames for at least an hour a day.
Kaushik’s home also has a rainwater collecting system and a rainwater recharge well.
Kaushik’s house is called ‘House of Gardens’ because it contains tiny green patches on every corner, which he claims can be seen from anywhere in the house.
The house’s flooring, made of red oxide and Athangudi tiles, was influenced by the Chettinad style of dwellings.
According to Kaushik, “I was extremely picky about utilising earthy tones in my house, and Athangudi tiles brought a certain beauty to it.”
The house was constructed in eight months for a cost of Rs 55 lakh. Balasunda Kaushikan claims that the entire cost is substantially lower than that of building a house using traditional methods.
