An unconventional abode

Vinu Daniel’s projects are unconventional, sustainable, and in tune with their context, leaving a minimal footprint.Architect Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers designs unconventional, sustainable residences that are in tune with their context, leaving a minimal footprint. His projects, Shikhara House, The Ledge, and The Debris House, feature unique yet cheerful residences with a strong sustainable quotient. Shikara House has a slanted shuttered debris wall to shield against the western sun, while The Ledge has Casuarina poles to blend into the hills. The Debris House has a curvilinear debris wall, rammed earth walls, and a filler slab roof with coconut shells.

When it comes to a residence, there are certain standard expectations to meet the exacting demands of a contemporary lifestyle. While contextual resonance is welcomed, the built expanse is still expected to be conventional in approach, without which the comfort desired is oft perceived to get diluted. Yet, architect Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers comes up with designs and construction methodologies for his residential projects where the approach is not only totally unconventional, but the emerging edifice is so in tune with its context as to leave the least footprint.

His recent projects, Shikhara House, The Ledge, and The Debris House, are classic examples of this, where the totally unconventional approach has put up unique yet cheerful residences with a sustainable quotient in each reigning high. All of Daniel’s projects are incidentally executed after long sojourns at the site where the multiple possible alternative approaches are explored and experimented by physically being present through the entire construction process.

The Shikara House is no exception, featuring as it does on the edge of a remote hilltop surrounded by dense vegetation. The language opted in design is visibly brutal, even harsh, to resonate with the direct onslaught of the western sun on the west facing site. Thus, a slanted shuttered debris wall serves as a literal shield against this harsh western sun, protecting the interiors from direct heat ingress. “The design resonates with the natural tendency to use a shield to shade when faced with direct harsh sunlight.

The inclined opaque facade does just that, shield against the western sun,” explains Daniel. The shuttered debris wall is incidentally patented by Daniel where construction debris is used along with cement and mud. “The site conditions dictated this choice as the terrain was rocky and the soil from the site was unsuitable for making CSEBs as they were full of pebbles and debris”, he points out. The structure is designed as a meeting of two triangles, with a basement, ground floor and first level where all three storeys are built using the shuttered debris wall.

While the slanting façade works excellently to shield the interiors from heat ingress, the interior spaces become acute because of the presence of the triangular shape and slant. But Daniel turned this to advantage, given a side wall opening up and removing the constricted feeling inside. A triangular courtyard features in the living area which exits into the rest of the residence.

The option of a blank wall on the western side with only small openings threw up the challenge of cross-ventilation. It was successfully solved by incorporating aluminium coin sheets that come with perforations. “A rhythmic undulating pattern was worked on the inclined façade with the aluminium coin sheets permitting ample natural light and ventilation besides enabling a peek into the exteriors. They also serve as the staircase, going up to the attic”, elaborates Daniel. Cement fibre boards serve as staircase treads and interior bridges.

The residence comes with a terrace that harbours select isolated spots designed explicitly to allow privacy and reflection in solitude against the backdrop of the mountains. Grey and white oxide finish the floors and select portions of the walls, with the entire furniture having been made from scrap pieces of cut wood.