DISSERTATION

Submitted

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE 4TH YEAR 8TH SEM.

By

SUKANYA M
161110225

Under the guidance of

DR. SONIA TANEJA

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
AND PLANNING
MAULANA AZAD NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,
BHOPAL, 462003
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

TRANSFORMATION0 OF TRADITIONAL
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE
OF KERALA

2 T
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

ABSTRACT

Kerala is a southern state of India with people speaking Malayalam language

and is known as a gift of Arabian sea. It has a composed climate and is
abundant in greenery especially coconut trees. Kerala has witnessed so many
historical milestones in the past because it was a hub of traders from different
parts of the world. They came here because of the spices Kerala had and their
cultures and languages influenced people of Kerla a lot.

When we look into the history of Kerala architecture the first name comes to
our mind is o Perumthachan, famous carpenter whose tales of mesmerizing
creations are very popular in Kerala. The base of Kerala architecture is Vastu
Vidhya which is a blend of beliefs, ancestral knowledge and science. Every step
in constructing a house is a ritual to ensure prosperity of the inmates of the
house by vastu. So many codes were written for construction of a building by
our ancestors in Sanskrit and Malayalam like Manushyalayachandrika. All such
knowledge were kept secrets and only passed to next generations of their own.

A typical Kerala hose is made of laterite stone walls, lime mortar, wooden
3 doors, windows and roof structure, and Mangalore tile laid on slanting roof.
Courtyard and verandah running around it is the main feature of Kerala
architecture. Courtyard will be surrounded by different halls, if it is four halls
then it is called nalukettu and there can be eight halls, sixteen halls etc. which
depends on the wealth and status of the family residing in it. A nalukettu has
elements like padippura, poomukham, chuttu verandah, charupady etc.

Kerala has a unique flooring system and roofing system with beautiful designs.
According to community the style of architecture is also different. A nair house
is different from anamboodiri illam. But courtyard is common everywhere
because it plays a vital role in light and ventilation.

With time architecture of Kerala also changed drastically. Lime mortar was
replaced by concrete and wood is partially replaced by different metals. Once
Kerala houses used to be the most comfortable place to be, because it had less
heat compared to it surroundings and good ventilation. But in a modern house it
is not possible to live without modern facilities like fans air conditioning etc.
But as a ray of hope the young architects of Kerala has found better ways to
blend the vernacularism of Kerala architecture to modern lifestyle and they are
completely successful in that. House like skew houses are best examples of this
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

achievement. They are bringing the features of traditional architecture and

giving it a modern touch without losing its essence. All the houses designed
following this principle are eco-friendly and minimalistic which is actually
being a part of nature.

4
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my guide Dr. Sonia
Taneja, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, MANIT,
for providing guidance and feedback throughout this project and letting me
change my topic so that I can do what I wanted to do even when it was too late.

I would like to thank the following people, without whom I would not have
been able to complete this research,

Archana Suresh and her family for letting me conduct a study on their own
house with all helps I could get.

Ajay Mannathukandi for accompanying me during my site visits and for all the
helps while taking photograph.

All the upcoming architects of Kerala for inspiring me by their designs.

My neighbours for sharing all the traditional knowledges that I will be never
5 able to find somewhere else.

And my biggest thanks to my family for all the support you have shown me
through this research. To conclude, I cannot forget to thank friends Ameen,
David, Kaushal, Sakshi and Shreyas for all the unconditional support in this
very intense academic schedule.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.........................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT....................................................................................4
TABLE OF FIGURES..........................................................................................6
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................7
CHAPTER 1: THROUGH HISTORY OF KERALA..........................................8
CHAPTER 2: ARCHITECTURE OF KERALA...............................................10
History of Kerala architecture through Perumthachan.......................................10
Building knowledge and Builders......................................................................12
FEATURES........................................................................................................13
CHAPTER III : HOUSES OF KERALA...........................................................14
Important elements of a typical Kerala residence...............................................14
Nalukettu - Traditional Kerala Mansion.............................................................14
Elements of Nalukettu........................................................................................16
6 CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS..............................................................................21
Typo-morphological Analysis of Houses...........................................................21
Influence of climate............................................................................................23
Roofing system...................................................................................................23
Flooring System..................................................................................................24
Building Materials..............................................................................................25
CHAPTER V: TRADITIONAL HOUSES OF KERALA.................................27
Residential Architecture.....................................................................................27
The Nambudiri Illam..........................................................................................27
Nair Tharavadu of Kerala...................................................................................28
The Effect of Internal Courtyards in Traditional Buildings of Kerala...............29
CHAPTER VI: TRANSITION OF ARCHITECTURE.....................................31
CHAPTER VII: JOURNEY OF MODERN KERALA ARCHITECTURE.....32
Skew House by architects Nikhil Mohan and Shabna Nikhil.............................32
IHA Residence in Kerala, Wallmakers...............................................................33
Residence of Babu Cherian of BCA Architecture..............................................35
House of Animangalathu Raman Namboothiri..................................................35
Jaisen house by ar. Jayadev Trissur....................................................................36
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

CONCLUSION...................................................................................................38
Bibliography.......................................................................................................39

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1 : Perumthachan.......................................................................................6
Figure 2: View of a typical Kerala courtyard.....................................................10
Figure 3: Vernacular well...................................................................................12
Figure 4: Padippura.............................................................................................13
Figure 5: Poomukham.........................................................................................13
Figure 6: Chuttu verndah....................................................................................14
Figure 7: Charupady...........................................................................................14
Figure 8: Ambal Kulam (Pond)..........................................................................15
Figure 9: Nadumuttom (courtyard).....................................................................16
Figure 10: Chitra thoonukal (decorated pillars)..................................................17
Figure 11: Mural paintings.................................................................................17
Figure 12: Mural paintings on wall....................................................................18
Figure 13: Floor and roof of a typical house......................................................22
7
Figure 14: Laterite stone.....................................................................................23
Figure 15: Kurungattu mana...............................................................................25
Figure 16: Anakkara Vadakkath Nair Taravadu.................................................26
Figure 17: Nadumuttam in square plan..............................................................27
Figure 18: Skew House.......................................................................................29
Figure 19: IHA Residence in Kerala..................................................................30
Figure 20: Interior of IHA house........................................................................31
Figure 21: Residence of Babu Cherian..............................................................32
Figure 22: Roof of Animangalathu house..........................................................33
Figure 23House : Exterior of Animangalathu....................................................33
Figure 24: Jaisen house by ar. Jayadev Trissur..................................................33
Figure 25: Tope View of Jaisen House...............................................................34
Figure 26: Courtyard of Jaisen House................................................................34
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

INTRODUCTION

Kerala is known as God’s country for many reasons like it’s incredible climate,
people belonging to different castes and religion living together in harmony,
richness in greenery, natural beauty like coastal areas, hill stations etc. and it is
also renowned for its unique architecture style. Kerala architecture is not just a
practice of designing a structure, it is a ritual including their culture, beliefs,
understanding of nature and keeping all the knowledge gained from ancestors
throughout the evolution from years and years ago. The houses which were
constructed purely under the principles like vastu Sastra, Thachu Sastra etc.
behaved like they were actually a part of nature itself. Maybe the reason lies in
building materials and building techniques they used which never caused any
harm to nature. Kerala architecture is actually a gift from clever ancestors in
order to find peace with nature. For example in Kerala there are so many small
temples sort of places which is considered as sacred placed where god exists
and is locally called kavu. These places are small ecosystem of massive trees
and it houses so many varieties of species. Because it is a place to worship,
nobody ever interrupted it. But in the case of Kerala architecture it is a different
8 scenario. With time people gradually forgot about their past and ran for modern
facilities for their greedy thoughts. But recently there arose a ray of hope
because people are realizing the vital role of architecture in our environment.
And they are modyfing Kerala architecture into a modern style by keeping the
essence inside. Maybe the evolution that should have done before was out of
track due to some reasons. But few young architects are actually bringing it
back. Through this dissertation I am trying to put spotlight on that new style of
architecture with some amazing examples which have to be continued for a
better future.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

CHAPTER 1: THROUGH HISTORY OF KERALA

Kerala state is situated on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. It was

formed on 1 November 1956 by following the passage of the States
Reorganization Act, by combining all Malayalam-speaking regions. The name
Kerala derived from the Malayalam words 'kera' and 'alam' which means
coconut tree and land, together 'land of coconuts' which is a name used by locals
due to the abundance of coconut trees. The word Kerala is first recorded as
Keralaputra in a third century BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor
Ashoka Chakravarthi (274–237 BCE). The inscription refers to the local ruler as
Keralaputra (Sanskrit for 'son of Kerala' or 'son of Chera'). This contradicts the
theory that kera is from 'coconut tree'. At that time, one of three states in the
region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil: Chera and Kera are variants of
the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala
kings.

9 Kerala is known as God's own country and is believed as a gift of the Arabian
Sea. It is rich in Exotic Beaches, Breathtaking hill Stations, Enchanting
waterfalls, Beautiful lagoons, Meandering rivers and fresh greenery scenarios
etc. Kerala is also famous for its Ayurveda treatments, high mountains, deep-cut
valley, evergreen rain forest, coconut oil and foods items. One of the important
parts which make Kerala different from other south Indian states is its
architecture. Kerala architecture is a reflection of their culture, lifestyle and
beliefs of Keralites. Like Kerala its architecture is also deep rooted in
geographical, climatic and historic factors.

Because of the region's closeness to the ocean Arabian Sea and the presence of
the fort-like Western Ghats mountain range in the east, Kerala is presented with
an enjoyable and composed climate throughout the year. The desiccated winds
coming inland from the north generally create a parched climate, but because of
the Western Ghats, Kerala is sheltered from the drying inland winds. It is a
place that receives plenty of rain, most of which falls in the rainy monsoon
season. Because the Western Ghats isolated Kerala from the rest of the
subcontinent, the infusion of Aryan culture into Kerala was very recent. It came
only after Kerala had already developed an independent culture, which can be
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

as early as 1000 B.C. The Aryan immigration is believed to have started

towards the end of the first millennium. Christianity reached Kerala around 52
A.D. through the apostle Thomas. The Jews in Kerala were once an affluent
trading community on the Malabar. The first mosque in India was built in
Kerala when a Travancore king converted to Islam around the 8th century,
coinciding with the dawn of Islam in the Middle East. The coming of European
traders not only introduced new vocabulary to the existing traditions, but it also
promoted relations with Southeast Asia. Therefore, it is seemingly obvious that
subtle eclecticism had been the nature of Kerala artistic value, in which all kinds
of influences, including Brahmanism, contributed to the cultural diffusion and
architectural tradition. More homogeneous artistic development may have
rigorously occurred around the 8th century as a result of large-scale
colonization by the Vedic Brahmans, which caused the decline of Jainism and
Buddhism.

Historically, Kerala has been a participant in the dynamic trading web of the
Mediterranean, South Asia, Southeast Asia and China since the 13th century or
even earlier, hence its towns such as Calicut, Cochin, Quilon, Beypore and
Crangganore are known to be important old international seaboards. Most of the
10 writings on the cultural formation of Kerala, which mostly referred to Indian,
British and French sources, tended to relate Kerala’s historical narratives and
foreign influences only with western cultures, such as Persian, Roman, Greek,
Jewish, Arabic and other Mediterranean and West Indian civilizations. Chinese
influences in domestic life are also obvious in some names of domestic utensils,
such as cheena chatti (cooking utensils made of cast iron), cheena bharani (big
jar made of china clay, introduced by Chinese), all suggesting the occurrence of
cultural exchange between Kerala and China. All these influences were visible
in their culture, language, art and architecture.When we look into different
architecture styles Kerala Architecture is one of the most exciting examples of
preservation of vernacular styles which has multiple foreign influences, and
Aryan invasion and Dravidian culture of different rulers and neighbors failed to
swamp its independence.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

CHAPTER 2: ARCHITECTURE OF KERALA

History of Kerala architecture through Perumthachan

In Kerala history the story of Perumthachan shows how
important architecture was. Perumthachan was one of the
twelve sons of Vararuchi and Panchami of parayi family.
He was adopted by a carpenter who led him too engaged
in his architecture profession. His creations are
considered as architectural wonders of Kerala. Old folks
say that the people of Uliyannoor village assigned
Perumthachan to make a pond near their temple. But
some people insisted him to have a pond with round
shape; some others insisted that it should be in square
shape. There were several others who wanted triangular
pond and rectangular pond. He agreed to all and Figure 1 : Perumthachan
constructed a pond which is round shape when looked at
it at a specific angle and round in other angle. It is triangular in one angle and
rectangular in another angle. The details of his designs are still a mystery.

11
Traditional Kerala architecture is purely based on the principles of Thachu
Shashtra (Science of Carpentry) and vaastu shashtra (Science of architecture
and construction). The adherence these principles in the construction of
dwelling structures provide prosperity, disease-free and peaceful life all the
while. In the case of business structures Vastu Sastra ensures upward prosperity.

Vastuvidya- Traditional architecture

Traditional Kerala architecture is the Vastu vidhya which is derived from the
Stapatya Veda of Adharva Veda and it deals with two types of architecture one
is Residential Architecture known as Manusyalaya under functional architecture
second is Temple architecture coming under conceptual architecture.

Architecture and Vastu Shastra are different but has many common things.
Vastu Sastra deals everything with a touch of religious rituals. But an architect
builds a structure with the needs and facilities required by people who is
residing there and an architect cannot ensure prosperity, good health or
happiness to the inmates like Pandits do. Vastu Sastra paves the ways for all
these elements and Kerala Architecture is accompanied by strong religious
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

thoughts and rituals. Most of the people think that constructing a house without
considering Vastu Sastra is dangerous and it may result in complications like
loss of wealth, health issues, natural disasters etc.

Lately, Vastu Sastra has been considered as a priceless gift to mankind.

Countries like America, UK, Germany, Japan etc. are extensively adopting
Vastu Sastra nowadays. Vastu Sastra being an ancient science did not get
enough importance in the past because of clever suppression by the ancestors to
keep the knowledge confined to themselves. Still they somehow applied the
Vastu science for constructing royal palaces, temples, religious places etc. They
kept Vastu as a sacred secret and never let anyone from a common background
access it. With time, common man got access to the knowledge of Vastu which
led to its wide acceptance and utilization. Today in Kerala even a small
structure is constructed with the concept of Vastu sastra only.

The principles of Vastu are not only for non-living but also for living things. It
says enough positive energy is present in every breath our health will remain
sturdy and progress vigorously. And if we fail to follow Vastu principles the
negative energy increases and we will suffer the consequences. According to
12 Vastu Sastra the land should be examined and worshipped before it is
purchased.

In Kerala house construction is a religious job involving secret of attainment

(Siddhi) of four Purusharth Chatushtaya – Dharma (religion), Arth (wealth),
Kama (desire) and Moksha (salvation).

Dharma (Religion): To have spiritual and inner soul happiness to the inmates
of the house religious belief is necessary. Religious belief also helps to remove
distresses linked to physical, emotional, divine and spiritual forces. There shall
be no dispute or enmity against each other.

Arth (Wealth): A person rises and prospers in wealth the moment the house
owner enters the house by following Vastu Sastra. A house is considered
worthless and bad if the inmates become economically weak. In contrast, if the
house is worthy, increase in source of income, glory and fame is witnessed.

Kama (Desire): If the house construction is according to Vastu children will be

born along with the upping of pleasure and prosperity. No quarrels among
family members or relatives, no court cases, no mental tension. The kids and
youngsters abide by the elder and bestow respect to him.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Moksha (Salvation): An auspicious Vastu house creates Moksha to the

inmates. A good family presents right and good behavior which in turn leads to
regal attainment.

Building knowledge and Builders

Kerala architecture has regional shastric tradition. Manusyalayacandrika is the

regional codified canon of Vastu Shastra of Kerala. Its narrative structure is
almost aligned with the universal Vastu cannon of South India, Mayamatam,
but it does not have a chapter of urban design and settlement. It also talks about
different mandala scheme where the most auspicious spot, the north-east corner
is the place for females or any aspects that relates to femininity and fertility, like
for kitchen and dwelling spaces for female. Manusyalayacandrika is accepted
and familiar among scholarly builders. Studies and researches found that it is
not much known among the local ordinary artisans. They are more familiar with
popular treatise called Tatchushastra and that maybe due to caste system of that
period. The content of Manusyalayacandrika and Tatchushastra is not much
13 different from each other except that the former has a strong content of Vedic
value and Sanskrit language while the latter one is more practical and
communicated in local Malayalam language since these shahstra’s were
available later to all artisans. Even though it bears the term ‘shastra’,
Tatchushastra and is not as well-codified as Manusyalayacandrika. It is written
more as a common knowledge shared among the builders of Kerala known as
‘tatchan’. Indeed many of the residences designed in that period do not strictly
follow Manusyalayacandrika, for example the spatial arrangement of courtyard
house in southern Kerala and of the non-Hindu communities. Basically there are
two kinds of shastric traditions of regional vaastushastra in Kerala which are
those which follows purely formal Brahmanism tradition and those which are
popular and practiced to serve the larger society.

There are two kinds of construction practiced in Kerala, laterite masonry and
wood carpentry. But laterite construction and monolithic building are not deeply
indigenous traditions, but contain traces of influences brought by Portuguese
and British or by the people beyond the northern borders of Kerala like southern
Karnataka. Toward the southern side, the roof designs show steeper and more
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

variations of bent ridges and provision of gabbles known as ‘mukhappu’. But

toward the northern region, the dominant roof design is hipped roof.

FEATURES
The earliest traces of constructions in Kerala belong to a period roughly
between 3000 B.C. and 300 B.C. temple architecture has a vital role in the
development of Kerala architecture. The primitive models of circular, square, or
rectangular plain shapes with a ribbed roof evolved purely from functional
consideration. If we analyze the structure, the roof frame was supported on the
pillars on walls which is actually erected on a plinth (normally more than one
meter) raised from the ground for protection against dampness and insects in the
tropical climate. Often the walls were also cladded with decorative timber
planks that are abundantly available in Kerala. Gable windows were designed at
the two ends in a way that it provides attic ventilation when the ceiling was
incorporated for the usable room spaces which ensured air circulation and
thermal control for the roof.

14

The lower ends of the rafters projected beyond the walls to shade the walls from
the sun and heavy rain. The specialty of these houses is that the main door faced
only one cardinal direction and the windows are small and made of wood.
Commonly the window shutters are also made of wood and mostly used teak
wood. The basic shapes of the plan are rectangular or square and are usually
divided into two or three activity rooms with access from a front passage called
‘idanazhi’. Around the 10th century, the theory and practice of domestic
architecture and the knowledge that architects gained from experiences were
codified in books and attempted to standardize house construction suited to
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

strengthen the construction tradition among craftsmen within the frame of their
culture and beliefs. But some fields like carpenters preserved the knowledge by
rigidly following the canonical rules of proportions of different elements as well
as the construction details and they passed their knowledge to the next
generation by teaching them. They became a community later with people doing
same kind of job. Which is still
relevant, for example, the
carpenter community is known as
‘ashari’. Until this day the
domestic architecture of Kerala
follows the style of detached
building; row houses seen in
other parts of India are neither
mentioned in Kerala texts nor put
up in practice except in
settlements occupied by people
other than Kerala like Tamil or
Konkani Brahmins.
15

CHAPTER III : HOUSES OF KERALA

Important elements of a typical Kerala residence

The art and architecture of all lands basically emanate from their cultural
heritage and geographical and climatic conditions. Like that, Kerala has a
unique architecture that blends harmoniously with nature and creates an
aesthetic appeal from its simplicity and functional perfection. The architectural
creations of Kerala talk volumes not only about the artistic competence of the
craftsmen but also of the visions and aspirations of the architects.

Nalukettu - Traditional Kerala Mansion

nalukettu is a courtyard type of house where the central courtyard is an outdoor
living space which is open to the sky, which has a ‘thulasithara’ (raised bed for
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

the sacred Ayurveda plant ‘tulsi’ or basil bush) at the centre. It is a rectangular
structure, where four halls are joined together with the central courtyard. The
four halls on the sides are called as ‘vadakkini’ (northern block), ‘padinjattini’
(western block), ‘kizhakkini’ (eastern block), and ‘thekkini’ (southern block).
The construction of nalukettu is purely followed by the norms and principles of
the traditional Thachu Sasthra. The facilities provided by a nalukettu were ideal
for large families of the traditional tharavadu where a joint family with a lot of
people lives under the same roof. Houses like these had even spaces for servants
to stay.

Well is one of most important

part of a house in Kerala. Even
before drawing the house plan,
the position of well is found in
the presence of a pundit called
‘namboodiri’ according to the
well the house is designed. In
houses like nalukettu the plan is
drawn in such a way that the well
16 is accessible from the kitchen
directly. But for a middle class
Figure 3: Vernacular well
family the well will be attached
to the bathroom.

The building design and site planning are monitored by a learned master builder
known as stapathi, who combines the technical matters with astrology and
science and is considered unavoidable in their culture. The four halls, identical
to the ‘nalambalam’ (the outer structure around the sanctum of a typical Kerala
temple), are then divided into several rooms for different activities such as
cooking, sleeping, dining, studying, etc. Like any other culture, people were
associated with farming in the first place. And their residence is also adapted to
it. For example, all the people who were doing farming had a special place for
the storage of grains which is called ‘pathayam’ which is basically a giant
wooden box. Depending on the size and importance of the household the
building may have one or two upper storeys known as ‘malika’. It can also have
a further enclosed courtyard by a repetition of the nalukettu (four-halled
building) to form ettukettu (eight-halled building) each courtyard is surrounded
by long verandaks with decorative wooden pillars mostly monolithic and sitting
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

spaces called ‘charuppadi’.The doors, windows, and wooden granaries are

usually made of teak wood and wood of wild jack tree called ‘anjili’.

Even though the house is a single block there are other smaller structures
associated with the house like cowshed made od laterite, wooden truss,
Mangalore tiles etc. Other one is ‘virakupura’ where the wooden planks are
stored which is to be used in kitchen for lit the stove. Stove is actually in built
using mud of good quality and baked bricks and exterior is thickly covered with
cow dung. The Mattancherry palace at Kochi and the Taikottaram of the
Padmanabhapuram palace near Kanyakumari are two of the best preserved
examples of nalukettu.

Elements of Nalukettu

Padippura

Padippura is a structure
containing the main door
17
forming part of compound wall
for the house with a Mangalore
tiled roof on top and small
sitting space for the outsiders
who are tired of walking. It is
the formal entry to the
compound with the house. But
nowadays the door is not there
bigger vehicles will have to
enter the house through the
Figure 4: Padippura
entry. Still, tiled roof is
provided preferably with a
traditional type kerosene lamp below the roof. Instead of the door of entry, we
now have the Gate. Some people even designs a small entry next to the main
gate exactly like ‘padippura’ with doors, so that people can easily enter the
house without opening big gates.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Poomukham

It is the prime portico soon after 5-6 steps

to the house. commonly it has a slope
tiled roof with pillars supporting roof.
Three sides are open. In the earlier days,
the head of the family called ‘Karanavar’
used to sit here in a reclining chair called
‘charu kasera’ with ‘thuppal kolambi’
(Spittoon) by the side of chair. Basic
discussions with outsiders are conducted
Figure 5: Poomukham
here. Except the entry all sides are
provided with sitting space made of wood in a decorative way.

Chuttu verandah

From the Poomukham or prime portico, a

wooden pillared verandah is given to
18 either side in front of the house which is
called Chuttu Verandah. Chuttu verandah
will have hanging kerosene lights in equal
distance hanging from its slope roof. It has
a vital role in the elevation of each house.
The people who came to work there are
allowed to take rest here after their lunch
usually. Floor of chuttu verandah is Figure 6: Chuttu verndah

usually done by red or black oxides often

with different patterns

Charupady

By the side of Chuttu verandah and Poomukham, wooden benches with carved
decorative resting wooden pieces for resting the back are provided. This is
called Charupady. Traditionally the family members or visitors used to sit on
these charupady to talk. Mostly it is made out of teak wood or jack fruit tree
wood.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Figure 7: Charupady

Ambal Kulam (Pond)

Almost every Naalukettu has its own ‘Kulam’ or Pond for bathing and Pooja
and only allowed to family members. At the end of Chuttu verandah there used
19 to be a small pond built with rubble on sides where lotus or Ambal used to be
planted. The water bodies are maintained to synthesized energy flow inside.

Figure 8: Ambal Kulam (Pond)

 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Nadumuttom (courtyard)

Traditionally Nadumuttom or central open to sky courtyard is the prime center

the Naalukettu. The courtyard is usually square shaped and located in the exact
middle of the house dividing the house in its four sides. Similarly there was
Ettu-kettu and Pathinaru-kettu which are quite rare with two and four
courtyards respectively.

Because it is open to sky, it is allowing sunshine and rains to pour in. Shastra
says this is to allow natural energies to circulate within the house and allow
positive vibrancy within. A tulsi or tree will be normally planted in center of
Nadumuttom, which is used to worship the god and becauyse of the ayuevedic
importance of tulsi. When we see it scesifically the logic is allow tree to act as a
natural air purifier.

20

Figure 9: Nadumuttom (courtyard)

Chitra thoonukal (decorated pillars)

These are the pillars made of wood or rubble with carvings or decorative works
used to add elegance to the Hall portion Kerala houses. Even though adding
wood pillars is quite expensive, this feature is being added to modern houses
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

also with intensive designs. Pictures depicting different stories of holy books
like ramayana are carved into such pillars especially in rubble pillars. In the
case of wood pillars, generally it is plain round monolithic pillars a with
polished surface.

Figure 10: Chitra thoonukal (decorated pillars)

Mural paintings
21 These are typical paintings used to adorn old Kerala building walls. Generally
these paintings depict stories from epics of India like ramayana.Even today the
houses have these paintings as decorative piece of art and not used extensively
covering all walls as in old houses. people are actually learning this style due to
keen interest and its need in market.

Figure 11: Mural paintings

 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Figure 12: Mural paintings on wall

Pooja Room

In hindhu houses a particular room is provided for worshipping and is called

Pooja room. It should preferably be in the North East corner of the house by
shastra. Idols can be placed facing east or west and the person praying should
22
face west or east respectively. It was then when each houses had people who
didn’t go outside for wok purpose like females, old people etc. but now this
scenario has changed and all the people of the house are either working or
studying. So people don’t have enough time to take care of big houses. When it
comes to Pooja room nowadays people are opting wooden cage like structure
instead of whole room.

CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS

Typo-morphological Analysis of Houses

Typo-morphological mapping of Kerala houses suggests that a single-

rectangular hall furnished with a veranda is the basic characteristic feature for
dwelling. The row of rooms with common space at the front is the basic spatial
concept for the interior. This hall structure is characterized by a solid annular
wall plate called uttaram on which the roof structures rest. The veranda was
originally the extended overhanging of eaves alindam that protects the building
from rain and the sun’s glare that provided a sitting area attached to the house.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

This type constitutes a generic spatial-structure of houses in Kerala called veedu

in common language or ekasala.

In the agriculturist families, the row of rooms kalavaras constitutes a core with
the middle room as ara. Other than ara, kitchen aduppu and well kinar is the
most important room in the house and the nalukettu, comparable to the sacred
courtyard. It could be located in one of the rooms or put in a separated hall
attached to the main hall.

The morphological development of the nalukettu from the basic ekasala

suggests two different traditions in local courtyard house design. One main
tradition follows the regional vaastushastra and reflects a strong Brahman
culture, and the buildings are mostly found in northern and central Kerala where
Brahmanism holds deep roots. It demonstrates the nalukettu as a four-fold
ekasala, arranged in a concentric way leaving an inner yard towards which the
four halls open. The four main independent halls of the nalukettu are connected
to one another by intermediary structure in the four corners. Among the four
quarters of the hall, the most important and most sacred quarter is that which
contains the ara. This morphology constitutes a traditional courtyard.
23 The other morphological development of the nalukettu does not necessarily
suggest linear multiplication of the four halls. The courtyard is more a
consequence of an extension of ekasala. Only the important quarters anywhere
within the halls are walled, such as ara, kitchen and prayer’s room. The rest of
the living activities were held on the open-layout space. This is mostly found in
southern Kerala and most of the non-Hindu community in Kerala, such as the
Muslim’s and local Nayar’s families. The vernacular nalukettu suggests the
decreasing significance of grandiose scale courtyard and increasing the
importance of open lay-out living space.

The humblest vernacular construction is made of weaved bamboo, thatched roof

and wattle and daub construction. Originally, the Kerala’s roof structure was
covered by thatch until it was banned on 1759 AD and altered toward the usage
of Mangalore tiles by royal command. The oldest residential nalukettu which is
400-years old found in Aranmula and arapura in Kanyakumari district show a
nalukettu made fully of a timber structure and a wooden panelling system called
nira, without wall fenestrations. Provision of gable board or mukhapu on both
end of ridges and small courtyard is another outlet for sunlight and ventilation.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

In the advanced buildings, as recent as 80 – 150 years old, the buildings were of
bigger scale and built from more massive materials such as laterite.

The traditional roof construction of Kerala is found nowhere else in India except
for some few commonalities in parts of north-east India. Response to tropical
climate are reflected on the overwhelming scale of roof, the timber walled
construction, hipped and gable roofs, mukhapu (gable), inclined-deep eaves,
sun-shading, openness and airiness of permeable wall panelling set and the uses
of latticed windows. Discussions about mukhapu can be one of the most
significant hints that correlate Kerala architecture with Southeast Asian house.
The finial and gable comparable to mukhappu is abundantly utilized in
Sumatera, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand. Kerala’s architecture also
highlights the Importance of granary design as an important feature in the
residential buildings. The raised floor with hollow underneath space (nilavara),
completed with a small ladder to get into the house hints that there is an urge to
lift the structure off the ground.

Influence of climate
Kerala has a warm humid climate. The rainfall is very heavy from south west
24 and north east monsoons. To keep the rain and sun away from the walls the
roofs of the building come down very low. They have verandah all-round the
building protecting the external walls from sun and rain. The width of the
verandah varies from 2 ft to 12ft. In rooms were people spend most of their time
during day the window openings were brought in at ground level otherwise the
windows were small so that there was only subdued light inside or had timber
jalis to give diffused light without glare. They also have an internal courtyard
for better flow of air.

Roofing system
The ridged roof pitched at angles between 30 degree to 40 degree. The roof with
intricately carved gables protruding from the roof with overhangs supported by
wooden brackets. The roof is prefabricated that is different members are fixed
on the ground and assembled at the top. No nails are used and the roof is kept
in position by interlocking with the hole in the rafters. Walls made of timber or
earth and roof of coconut leaves or tiles are common in many parts of Kerala
Structurally the roof frame was supported on the pillars on walls erected on a
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

plinth raised from the ground for protection against dampness and insects in the
tropical climate.

Flooring System
The most common type of flooring was that of beaten earth polished with cow
dung at regular intervals. Black colored traditional flooring used in the more
expensive buildings was done with the mixture of lime, sand, coconut-shell,
white of egg, jaggery, coconut water and other vegetable extracts. Traditionally
clay tiles were used for floor of the Kerala House and Kerala houses or rather
Kerala style of roof is supposed to be slope roofs with clay tiles laid over
wooden reapers and wooden koodu with wooden thulam,kazhukkol etc properly
installed by old asaris with precision.

As wood became costlier and when concrete roof became popular, Kerala
Architects tried to give similar old Koodu appearance with slope roof concrete
as roof which will later have clay tiles laid over it complete with old Mukhappu
and Thoomanam. Mukhappu comes at the top of the sloping portions of the
slope roof and sometimes in the middle of one side of slope roof. This
appearance is also achieved by using steel fabricated koodu structure with tiles
25 laid over steel.

Thoomanam used to be made by wood at the bottom end where clay tile reaches
at the bottom. Rain water falling on the slope roof will flow down fast due to
the slope and when water reaches the bottom of the slope roof, Thoomanam will
act as a diverter to direct water directly towards ground instead of it flowing
inside to wall of the house

In the earlier days plain or carved with picture design wooden Thoomanam used
to be fitted by traditional Kerala asaris, usually painted dark blue. As wood is
now costly, precast concrete Thoomanam with attractive designs are now being
used in place of wooden Thoomanam

Now clay tiles of smaller dimensions and of different shapes are available. I can
give website details of one of the clay tile manufacturers in Trichur.

Even on floor we can use these clay tiles which are healthier to use as they do
not have negative energy unlike other normally used flooring materials. Here
again different models and designs are available of course with better strength
and practically wear and tear resistant. If you give an antifungal exterior paint
over these tiles it will go without any fungus for about five years. Costly baked
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

with antifungal paint clay tiles are also available which will last longer fungus
resistant nana.

26

Figure 13: Floor and roof of a typical house

Building Materials
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

The natural building materials

available for construction in Kerala
are stones, timber, clay and palm
leaves etc. which helped people in
rejection of outside influences. The
availability of strong and durable
building stone granite is restricted
mainly to the highlands and
marginally to some hilly zones.
Because of the skill in quarrying, Figure 14: Laterite stone
dressing and sculpturing of stone is scarce in Kerala. Laterite stone is
abundantly found as outcrops in most zones of Kerala. Soft laterite available at
shallow depth can be easily cut, dressed and used as building blocks which is
done by skilled workers in a standard size.. Laterite is a rare local stone that gets
stronger and durable with exposure to the atmosphere. Mortar used to bind the
blocks of this stone is of shell lime which is a classic binding material used in
traditional buildings. Lime mortar can be improved in strength and performance
by admixtures of vegetable juices. Such enriched mortars were utilized for
plastering and low relief work. Timber has always been a prime structural
27
material and is abundantly available in Kerala, in many varieties from bamboo
to teak and rosewood. Clay was used in many forms like for walling, in filling
the timber floors and making bricks and tiles after firing in kilns, tempered with
admixtures. Palm leaves are still used effectively for thatching the roofs and for
making partition walls and along with mud walls is still the poor man’s
construction material.

A different mixed mode of construction was evolved in Kerala architecture. The

stonework was restricted up to the plinth even in important buildings such as
temples. Laterite was used only for walls. The roof structure in timber was then
covered with palm leaf thatching for most buildings (kudil) and rarely with tiles
for palaces or temples. The exterior of the laterite walls was either left exposed
or plastered with lime mortar to serve as the base for mural painting or simply
lime mixture (kummayam) was applied.

A house in Kerala is generally called Veedu. The inmate of Veedu is mostly a

joint-family kinfolk’s called tharavad. The joint family system or kinship
system consequently promotes the tradition of living in a huge shelter or
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

mansion with unity. The term is Dravidian and is used in some parts of Tamil
Nadu and North Sri Lankan for all types of residences, but generally the people
of Kerala will refer to their veedu as tharavad.

CHAPTER V: TRADITIONAL HOUSES OF KERALA

Residential Architecture
There are various local terms for houses of different tribes according to their
social status and profession.

The house of:

o Pariah - CHERI
o The agrestic slave – Cheraman - CHALA.
o Blacksmith, the goldsmith, the carpenter, the weaver – KUDI
o Temple servants reside – VARIYAM / PISHARAM
o The ordinary Nayars - VEEDU / BHAVANAM
28
o Nayar’s authority - IDAM.
o Raja lives in a KOVILAKKAM / KOTTARAM

Five types of traditional domestic architecture or Veedu in Kerala:

1) The wretched humble house, unknown by any building treatise of Kerala,

belongs to ordinary folks and tribal people adivasis (cheri, chala, kudi,
variyam or pisharam or pumatham).
2) The Ekasala, an I-shaped single rectangular hall house, belongs to
farmers or middle-class non-farmers.
3) The Nalukettu, a courtyard house, belongs to landlords.
4) The great mansion Ettuketu and Patinjarukettu (double ettukettu) or much
bigger structures, belong to very rich landlords.
5) Commoner houses are simple ordinary houses scattered abundantly in the
cities and villages.

The Nambudiri Illam

The Nambudiri Illam’s are mainly concentrated in Trichur, Palghat districts in
south Malabar and as small clusters in Kottayam, Cannanore and some parts of
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

North Malabar. The houses of the affluent brahmin families of Trichur are self-
contained complex of buildings in a wide private compound.

Figure 15: Kurungattu mana

29 The complex consists of one or two storied Nalukettu building with an entrance
gate with Padipura and sub buildings like Granary, a Kitchen for feeding guests
and a Shrine or a Temple itself are found. There are four wings Northern,
Southern, Eastern and Western. The major built structures were on the southern
and the western wings. The granary or pathayam on the south has solid walls of
laterite or wood. The western block is comparatively raised open hall with
wooden columns which transfers load of floor above to plinth. The official
ceremonies take place in these halls and the men also learn or sleep. The kitchen
with its attached well is always placed in the northeast corner. Because in
Kerala the wind comes from the southwest side and it is the best position to
make sure that the smoke escapes the building directly. The northern side next
to the kitchen is used for the performance of the important ritual of Shredda
(human ritual of pouring Ghee on the sacred fire).

The location of Pooja room is on the north or in the east next to the kitchen. The
logical reason behind it is to allow the escape of smoke and to minimize the
chance of an external fire since fire is mandatory for Pooja performance.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Nair Tharavadu of Kerala

The Nair community constitutes 16% of the population of Kerala. The concept
of Nair houses is rural, located commonly next to paddy fields in fenced
compounds with palm, banana and other fruit bearing. The tharavadu houses
were joint families with normally around 30-40 members in a matriarchal
system. The head of the tharavadu was the oldest male member called
karanavar.

30

Figure 16: Anakkara Vadakkath Nair Taravadu

Security and defense played a vital role in determining the orientation, layout
and future additions. The house type is classified by the number of such halls
like Naalukettu (four chambers) Ettukettu (eight chambers) Padinarkettu
(sixteen chambers). The number of courtyards indicates the social standing and
the wealth of the family. The principles of siting, spatial arrangement of rooms,
building materials, orientation, measurements and construction details were
purely based on Vastu Vidhya and Tachhushastram.

The Effect of Internal Courtyards in Traditional Buildings of

Kerala
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

When we talks about the basic module of a traditional Kerala residential

building it is nalukettu with four blocks, built around an open courtyard. The
blocks are topped with a sloping roof on four sides and the courtyard is open to
sky for light and ventilation. An internal pillared verandah around the courtyard
is provided for protection from rain and sun. Courtyard and patio are quite
common in any warm humid climate where the building encloses an open space
fully or partly. Such spaces are normally referred as microclimate modifiers.
They provide better microclimatic conditions than the surrounding open areas,
and brings a positive effect on the indoor comfort conditions of the enclosing
building volume. In a open to sky courtyard, a pool of cool air is retained as this
is heavier than the surrounding warm air. In the courtyard the top layer of the air
gets warmer in day time and becomes lighter which makes the air move
upwards. Thus a pressure difference develops in the courtyard and it induces an
air movement from outside area, through the surrounding spaces. the internal
courtyard also helps to induce air movement due to pressure effect in the event
of high velocity external wind that flow above the building. The wind flow
reduces the pressure at the top layer of the air column and creates a suction
effect above the small courtyard. This produces an upward movement of the top
layer of air in the courtyard, pulling the air towards the court through the
31
surrounding spaces which results in circulation of air in those spaces.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

Figure 17: Nadumuttam in square plan

32

CHAPTER VI: TRANSITION OF ARCHITECTURE

Traditional architecture of Kerala is developed based on the needs of the users,

climate, availability of materials and the living conditions in the region.
Towards the middle of the 20th century a drastic change in architecture took
place in Kerala. The change was so rapid, that the traditional design systems
that were followed till time were replaced with modern style, with no means of
adaptation. Thus, the local architectural forms and techniques, that have been
responding to the physical and cultural needs of the people and nature itself for
thousands of years was neglected. The environment that necessitated the
traditional architecture has changed and almost got vanished. Most of the
traditional houses were transformed from a common archetype to accommodate
the modern facilities. Though many aspects of the traditional houses were best
in its context, it is difficult to accommodate the modern living styles in a
traditional way. One of the major reasons behind it was the new generation
being attracted to the easy availability of all the amenities of the modern hi-tech
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

age. But now, in 21st century the scenario has changed. Young architects who
realised the vital role of tradition, culture and all ancestral knowledge in
architecture of Kerala are now working on a different approach where they are
blending vernacularism and modernism together. And it was a successful
experiment by which they designed residences with all modern facilities but
without losing the essence of traditional Kerala architecture.

Some of the elements like laterite, sloping roof, exposed brickwork, wood etc
are unavoidable from Kerala architecture. And these architects kept it in mind
while designing each residence. Visually it may not be like a typical Kerala
residence but these elements and tiny details never disappoint us and anyone
who enters could sense vernacularism of Kerala.

Many locals leave their Kerala hometowns sporadically every year, and migrate
to the foreign countries especially gulf countries in search of better job
opportunities and for the betterment of their family and only visiting their
hometowns during annual vacations. All of the have strong urge to build a
family home with an affinity towards tradition coupled with contemporary
styling was what they aspired for, so every visit to the house kept their children
33 rooted to their family values. In simple way we can say for them home is a
desire to be connected to their Gods own country.A common design includes a
climate sensitive design with sloping roofs and large overhangs were positioned
to withstand Kerala’s monsoons.

In a typical vernacular residence the sloping roof, overhangs, wooden windows

etc limits the light entering to the house. In order to increase light and
ventilation they included courtyards inside each house, still the light entered
wasn’t sufficient. But when it comes to a modern Kerala house the gave Semi-
permeable spaces such as patio and large expanses of the veranda from the
dining room take advantage of tropical climate for natural lighting. Its linear
horizontal lines and vast cantilevered roof weave around the resident trees
especially coconut trees, and large expanses of glass windows the spatial
boundaries between the garden and the house. One feels unrestricted while
walking through the open plan of the living spaces, which are differentiated
from one another by sliding bi-fold doors or no barriers at all.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

CHAPTER VII: JOURNEY OF MODERN KERALA ARCHITECTURE

Skew House by architects Nikhil Mohan and Shabna Nikhil 

34

Figure 18: Skew House

This family home by Indian boutique firm Thought Parallels, designed amid the
picturesque rubber plantation in Kerala, embraces nature with contemporary
minimalist features. The site was indeed inspirational, located in the middle of a
verdant part of Kerala, called Malappuram, with small mountains of lush greenery
bounded with several fresh water streams flowing through. Since it is tropical
climate, cross-ventilation is a prime factor for facilitating a comfortable indoor
environment, enabling the house free from using any air-conditioning by letting the
breeze passing through house. This led architects to settle on the possibility of a
modern tropical design amalgamated with traditional architecture. The form is two
blocks that are connected with each other by a semi-private living area and is
influenced by the traditional architecture of Kerala, which is interpreted in a
modern aesthetical language.

It has large sloping roofs overlaid with Mangalore tiles. These are sound and heat
insulated, with wooden panelling inside. However, since they used a mild steel T
section framework, the roof profiles are unusually slim as compared to the thick
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

and heavy-looking Kerala roofs. They also incorporated a double water-cutting

detail to make sure the wood inside doesn’t get wet.

IHA Residence in Kerala, Wallmakers

35

Figure 19: IHA Residence in Kerala

IHA Residence in Kerala The design of this residence brings Kerala architecture
to another level. The main concern while designing was to avoid creating an
environmental imbalance in the area since it was a low-lying region of Kerala.
Architects made use of the earthy materials in such a way that one could feel the
earth and nature even inside the building. The distinctive form of Compressed
Stabilized Earth Blocks has been used to create a rotating Jali work. Apart from
the marvel, the light creates; the consecutive polar arrangement allows
uninterrupted flow of wind allowing ample ventilation
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

.
36 The living area provides a serene atmosphere and absolute solitude created by
the bamboo and rustic furniture made with scrap wood. And the concrete
texture and colour makes it more attractive but peaceful. Interesting thing about
this design is that they created tiny, cozy Semi-private interstitial areas that
connect the outside and the inside is the soul of this project. The minimalistic
interior and decor of the residence fits right in without creating much noise or
disturbance, keeping in mind the space and vibe the house projects. The
architects make use of uprooted trees and waste wood from saw mills as the
furniture for the residence. The structure connects closely to nature in terms of
terrain, design and materials. The residence hugs and stays close to the
environment of peace around it a makes anyone who enters the residence feels
deeply rooted in nature, which emphasises the saying “living with nature”.

The use of local materials is an important step to reduce transportation cost,

saves energy, and protects the environment. So when it comes to bricks Kerala
is abundant in laterite and it became major building material. But laterite
construction and its lime mortar plaster had many demerits like skilled labour
work, construction limitations strength etc. So in order to meet the requirements
of the lack in laterite stones and it plaster they must introduce new sophisticated
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

item which does not compromise the load bearing capacity, compressive
strength and moreover it should be economical to common people. That was the
time when concrete got introduced and it overtook the architecture of Kerala.
They used laterite stones but replaced lime mortar with better concrete plaster
and wooden roof deck was replaced by concrete and steel. Interior and exterior
both was then plastered with concrete, which is durable, less time consuming,
easy to apply paint and results in a fine texture.

Residence of Babu Cherian of BCA Architecture

In figure xx the residence is of concrete construction but in a Kerala style. The

outdoors is designed with a lush green cover and the roof is covered with
Mangalore tiles. They used cement plaster and wood throughout the design to
keep the Kerala essence. The sloping roof, pillars, sit-out, courtyards etc. are
still highlighting Kerala style.

Figure 21: Residence of Babu Cherian

37
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

House of Animangalathu
Raman Namboothiri
The family Animangalathu Raman
Namboothiri wanted a modern house
which emanates the old world charm.
So they constructed a traditional
Kerala house in a modern way and
speciality lies in the roof which is truss
work, paved with mud roofing tiles.
The slanting roof and the unique sit- Figure 22House : Exterior of Animangalathu
out add a traditional charm to the
elevation. A central gopuram or a
small tower, highlighted with
claddings which have the finish of the
laterite stones makes it more beautiful.
they used windows and casement
windows which reminds of a ‘tharavadu’, traditional ancestral home.

Jaisen house by ar. Jayadev Figure 23: Roof of Animangalathu house

38
Trissur

Figure 24: Jaisen house by ar. Jayadev Trissur

 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

This house merges with the rural settings even while offering its inhabitants all
the comforts of modern living. The entry
sequence to the house is almost
ceremonial. A shaded pathway leads to
the ‘poomukham,’ which has a door
opening directly to a wide courtyard. It is
amazing to see how the architect has
adopted the Design characteristics which
is unique to the Kerala style of
architecture and improved upon in this Figure 25: Courtyard of Jaisen House
house, making it a climate-responsive
architecture. The sloped terracotta tile
roofing, large wooden shutters used for
windows are examples of this. The
curated interiors have ceilings done in
terracotta and wood, large format tile
flooring and custom designed metal light
39 fixtures. The terracotta tile with their
fungal patina, is a throwback to the
‘tharavadu’ the ancestral homes. The
wooden eaves of the roofing have been
left unprotected and is allowed to
weather under the sun and rain, let it age
gracefully which nourishes the Figure 26: Tope View of Jaisen House
homeliness of Kerala.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

CONCLUSION

Kerala architecture has always been inspiring to many people because of its
thoughtful techniques, sustainability, simple building materials, and
minimalism. Human beings always have a tendency to compete for things
which is convenient for him and forgets about everything else which is lacking
behind. In Kerala also people wanted modern facilities and modern houses
while running behind it they lose what their ancestors gave them, our tradition,
which is a product of their hard work. Through this dissertation I tried to recall
all the features of Kerala architecture which I can pursue their use in future.

The main aim of this dissertation was to find out what is the current situation of
Kerala architecture and the result is surprisingly happy. Because a new trend
has been introduced to Kerala where these young upcoming architects are
designing residences as an amalgam of traditional architecture and modern
architecture together, which has all the features of vernacularism and at the
same time they have all the properties of a modern building. This dissertation is
giving us a ray of hope for our future where we are going to need more
40 sustainable buildings in order to survive.

I am concluding my dissertation with all elation that people of Kerala has

started to realise that their ancestors were not all wrong. For a better future we
need to take references from our past. And now I can say that Kerala
architecture is going in a right direction for a better future.
 Transformation Of Traditional Residential Architecture Of Kerala

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