Eugene Pandala, an Indian architect born on March 19, 1954, is known for his eco-friendly designs that integrate natural materials and organic forms, inspired by his studies in urban design and heritage conservation. He gained recognition for his innovative use of mud in construction, creating buildings that harmonize with nature, such as the Ravi's House and Revathy Kala Mandir, a film academy designed with vastu shastra principles. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Laurie Baker Award and recognition from fellow architects in India.

1. EUGENE
PANDALA

2. Biography
• Birth: 19 March 1954, 62 years old
• Birth place : Kollam, India.
• Studied for a Masters in Urban Design at the School of Planning and
Architecture, New Delhi.
• Met the legendary architect Hassan Fathy, and was inspired to build with
mud.
• He had his Fellowship in Heritage Conservation at University of York and
at Fort Brockhurst English Heritage Training Centre in the U.K.

3. Career…
• He was the founding head of the department of Architecture at the
Architecture School in Quilon.
• Pandala gained public attention in 1996 when he designed his first mud
house in Kollam.
• As a nature lover, and cultural heritage conservation activist, he designs
buildings with natural materials, making some of his work the most
interesting organic forms with cultural continuity, so natural to its
surroundings.

4. Style..
• Known for building with values of environmental sustainability.
• The architect is not a fan of straight lines and geometrical shapes.
• his work is characterized by organic forms and a free-flowing spirit.
• His buildings seem to be part of the earth, one with nature and completely
non-pretentious.
• Has sensitivity to the needs of the owners and his concern for the
environment.

5. His notable projects..
Ravi’s house in chathannor, Kerala
An eco friendly enchantment

6. About the house..
• This house at Chathanoor has four bedrooms, three courtyards, a kitchen,
dining and a living space, all arranged in such a manner that it seems to be
part of nature.
• The inside-outside connectivity is well-balanced and effected through open
arches (with safety grills in mild steel) flanked by mud columns and large
teakwood-clad windows.
• Spatial distribution has also been cleverly executed: public areas like the living
area and the low-lying veranda, and one bedroom afford views of the
waterlily pond.

7. Continued..
• Situated on the northern side, the water pond along with the perforations on
the exterior walls, keeps these public areas cooler.
• To the south lie two courtyards ,one exclusively for the master bedroom and
one shared between the remaining two bedrooms.
• Passive cooling and the ample amount of sunlight that enters this house
negate the need for air conditioners and artificial lighting, thus bringing
electricity bills down.

8. The three courtyards are
the crowning glory of this
project. The one next to
the seating alcove has, as
its highlight, a perforated
wall topped by a tiara of
bougainvillea

9. Every Eugene Pandala structure
has curvaceous lines, like this
wall which hides a courtyard
beyond. The perforations on
the walls, besides adding
whimsy, also bring more light
and air into the house.

10. The rib-and-skin roof of the
house is
clearly visible at the entrance.

11. A man-made pond crusted
with waterlilies.

12. Interior..
Pandala did not intervene in the
interior design of the house.
The owners themselves have
introduced bare necessities
like a sofa, chairs and a coffee
table.

13. An informal seating alcove,
which draws inspiration from
the traditional foyer of a Kerala
home, is placed right next to the
entrance. It affords a view of
one of the southern courtyards.

14. Note the open nature
of the project where
every area of the
house is exposed to
nature’s bounty.

15. Note the
undulations of this
mud house
painstakingly
shaped by hand.

16. Here is the
interesting
snake-head
pattern on
the wall

18. Interesting facts of the house
• His particular house has been built from mud dug out from the site itself,
which takes it a notch higher on the eco-friendly scale. The resulting pit has
been converted into a water harvesting zone.
• The roof is so well thought out that none of the walls are exposed much to
rainwater during monsoons.
• There are several design details that are especially endearing, such as the
snake hood-shaped wall exhibit crafted out of mud, and the ledges that
sprout from the walls to serve as benches or handy places to stack
provisions.

23. Revathy Kala Mandir

24. This is Pandala’s one of the finest project.
Providing all that a cinema needs under one roof,
this film academy is spread over 20,000sq feet.
The whole construction is Vastu Shastra
compliant which adds one more star to the
uniqueness of the academy.
this project has also been constructed by mud
making it environment friendly. Moreover the
mud which has been found on the site is used
here.

25. The roofing done is pretty simple by erecting roof tiles on a steel truss....

26. The main 2-storey structure that spans 20,000 sq.ft, is built
around a central nadumuttom like space

27. From the main reception area, there is a staircase that leads
to a library.

28. The oxide flooring throughout follow ochre, yellow and saffron tones.
The design of the building ensures that there is ample flow of air and
plenty of light....

30. Facts about the academy…
• A reception, library, classrooms, staff rooms, a small cafeteria,
shooting studio, sound studio, edit lab are the major rooms that
make up the academy.
• The courses offered here include cinematography, film editing,
direction and screenplay, sound recording
• The rainwater harvesting system of the KINFRA Park is quite
near to the studio. The shape of the plot helps in channelling the
water got from this into a small pond in the campus. This water
body adds to the charm of the building

31. Sarai at Toria, MP
- A uniquely designed accommodation is situated on a beautiful riverside site, near Khajuraho in Madhya
Pradesh, India. A beautiful place, rich in history and natural beauty .

32. Reasons to visit
• Experiential riverside resort located off the Jhansi-Satna national highway in
Madla on the banks of Ken River
• 8 independent cottages with an attached bath, verandah and private courtyard
built with mud, stone, wood, brick, lime, tile and thatched roof
• areas include a large dining and lounge area situated on the highest point of
the resort offering views over the Ken River and the Panna National Park
• Activities offered include boating, fishing, nature walks, birding, visit to places
of historical importance and national parks
• Recommended for inbound and wildlife travellers

33. Four of the cottages are especially suitable for families,
including tucked-away mezzanine bed spaces that are great for
children.

35. Awards and Recognition
Pandala’s work has been appreciated not only by the people and government but words of
appreciation can be heard from his fellow architects of India.
• In 2011, Lalith kala academy present him with first Laurie Baker award.
• His eco-friendly designs has won him ‘Designer of the year’ award by Inside & Outside
magazine in 2007.
• His heritage conservation project has won him a commendation award by Inside Outside
magazine in 2004.
• He was a keynote speaker at the 361 degree conference 2016 held at Nehru centre in Mumbay.
In March 2016, British council hosted Pandala for their Great Talk Series in Mumbay and at
Pune

36. Thankyou..
Made by:
Shivangi Shankar