Client: Sathya

Year: 2022

Location: Auroville

Built-up Area: 760 Sq ft

Typology: Residential

SATHYA HOUSE, BUDGET RESIDENTIAL

CONTEXT

Sathyamoorty, born in a village on the outskirts of Auroville and raised by a single mother, had the fortune of being ‘adopted’ by the studio pottery within Auroville, where his mother worked as a helper. The studio not only educated him up to 10th standard but also nurtured his interest in pottery by teaching him the craft.

When Sathya decided to get married, he needed a home. The ceramic studio offered him an existing storeroom for extension.

Our studio was approached for a low-cost solution with a budget of around ₹3-4 lakhs. We took on the challenge of designing a prototype for affordable housing that met the criteria of natural ventilation, thermal insulation as well as beauty.

CONCEPT

The storeroom, originally built in 1984 as the first fired brick hemispherical dome in Auroville, inspired us to enhance this typology rather than settling for the simpler solution of adding an RCC roof or GI sheet lean-to roof for a bedroom and bathroom. We convinced Sathya’s mentor, who was extending a loan for the project, to incorporate a second domeand slightly expand the GI roof section to include a bathroom and an added store/room. The existing ferrocement open veranda was made more useful by making it a mosquito proof porch.

INNOVATIONS

The high brick dome with white tiles as waterproofing and reflective layer, ensures natural cooling, while the red oxide flooring provides an affordable and durable surface. Sathya himself contributed to the project by crafting ceramic jaalis and rainwater spoutsat the pottery.

Additional features included a rainwater collection channel all around with brick chambers to first collect the water from the ceramic spouts, plinth protection, septic tank and soak pit, a modular kitchen made by a carpenter under the client’s supervision. These enhancements raised the cost to ₹7.5 lakhs, which is a worthwhile investment considering the added functionality and longevity. Final cost per sq ft worked out to be around 1100 rs. including interiors and additional features as mentioned above.

CONSTRAINTS

It is easy to build something from a scratch but difficult to innovate and enhance an existing structure, that too one that has a strong language such as a dome. We were looking for low-cost solutions which would still be comfortable to live in and add to the aesthetics of the storeroom. During the execution, primary constraints were budget and time,which is of essence to keep the costs down. These limitations required careful planning, prioritization, and efficient resource allocation to ensure the project’s success.