This document provides information about traditional Kerala architecture. It discusses the local materials used like timber, clay, palm leaves and laterite stone. Traditional homes had an open layout centered around a courtyard, with rooms surrounding it. Distinct features discussed include the sloped roofs that provided ventilation, wooden pillars, murals and swing beds. The document also notes the influence of vastu shastra principles and mentions legendary master craftsmen like Perumthachan. It provides examples of traditional home elements like verandahs, ponds and kitchen placement, as well as the transition to modern architecture styles.

1. B. Arch II Year Holiday Homework
Shijo Jose
A/2371/2011

2.  Kerala occupies 1.8% of the total land area of
India however has a high density population
of 3%
 It is a scenic state, also called as ‘God’s own
country’ for its lush landscape and beauty
 Rated among top 50 must see destinations
across the world by National Geographic
Traveller

3.  Kerala enjoys a pleasant climate throughout
the year with mild summers and winters.
 The state enjoys one of the highest rainfalls
of the country with numerous places having
>3000cm
 Proximity to the sea results in cool winds
throughout the year
 Good sunshine

4. Kerala has a good network of rivers that run
throughout the state
The state also prides in its lush open forests
that cover most of its area, providing the
locals with food, shelter and timber for
construction.
The state has the Arabian sea on its Western
shore which has made given the state
prominence in sea trade.

5.  Kerala is a state that prides in its culture and
traditions, all of which have been carefully
preserved and upheld. Kathakali
Mudiyettu

6. The State is rich in Wood,
Bamboo, Laterite, Stone, Mud
Clay, Terracotta, Lime, Palm and
is plentiful in its water
resources.

7.  Natural building materials are stones, timber,
clay and palm leaves
 Laterite, available across the state, is a rare
local stone which gets stronger and durable
with exposure at atmospheric air. Laterite
blocks may be bonded in mortars of shell
lime, which has been the classic binding
material used in traditional buildings. Lime
mortar can be improved in strength and
performance by admixtures of vegetable
juices.

8.  Timber is the prime structural material
abundantly available in many varieties in
Kerala - from bamboo to teak. Perhaps the
skilful choice of timber, accurate joinery,
artful assembly and delicate carving of wood
work for columns, walls and roofs frames are
the unique characteristics of Kerala
architecture.

9.  Clay was used in many forms - for walling, in
filling the timber floors and making bricks
and tiles after pegging and tempering with
admixtures. Palm leaves were used effectively
for thatching the roofs and for making
partition walls.

10.  A mixed mode of construction was evolved in
Kerala architecture. The stone work was
restricted to the plinth even in importatnt
buildings such as temples. Laterite was used
for walls. The roof structure in timber was
covered with palm leaf thatching for most
buildings and rarely with tiles for palaces or
temples. The exterior of the laterite walls
were either left as such or plastered with lime
mortar to serve as the base for mural
painting.

13.  Thatchu Shasthra, or the Science of Carpentry
and traditional Vasthu, was the governing
science in this architectural form.
 This branch of knowledge was well developed
in the traditional architecture of Kerala and
has created its own branch of literature
known under the names of Tantrasamuchaya,
Vastuvidya, Manushyalaya - Chandrika, and
Silparatna.

15.  Perumthachan also spelled as "Perunthachan“
meaning (the master carpenter or the master
craftsman) is an honorific title that is used to
refer to an ancient legendary carpenter(Asari),
architect, woodcarver and sculptor from
Kerala. However Perumthachan is an
important figure in the folklore of Kerala and
many a wondrous structure and architecture
that still stand are attributed to him.

16.  Structure containing a door
forming part of Compound
wall
 Tiled roof on top
 Formal entry to the
compound with the house
 Traditional type lamp
below the roof

17.  Entrance of the house - climbing up steps in
the front slope tiled roof with pillars
supporting roof.
 Sides are open
 In the earlier days, the Head of the family
called ‘Karanavar’ used to sit here in a
reclining chair This chair will have long rails
on either side where the Karanavar will keep
his legs raised for comfortable rest

18. Onam celebrations in
front of the Poomukham

19.  From the Poomukham you
can walk to either side in
front of the house through
open passage called Chuttu
Verandah
 Chuttu Verandah will have
equidistant hanging lights
from its slope roof.

20.  By the side of Chuttu
Verandah and
Poomukham, wooden
benches with carved
decorative wooden pieces
for resting the back are
provided.
 The family members and
visitors sit on these
Charupady to talk.

21. It exists in two forms –
In most houses:
 At the end of Chuttu Verandah – a small pond
built with rubble on sides
 Traditionally, Lotuses are grown in it, along
with other water plants

22. Very large homes and temples usually
Have a large enclosed pond where
members of the family and visitors come
to bathe.
By tradition, the ambal kulam is the
bathing area.

23.  The central open courtyard ‘ankanam’
 The enclosed courtyard is often sunk and
therefore called ‘kuzhi (pit) ankanam’
 The protruding roofs formed shady verandas
and protected the rooms from direct sunlight,
keeping them cool even on the hottest of
days

24. A modern nadumuttom
Open to sky,
open to rain.

25.  (picture pillars)
 Pillars in wood / stone with carvings or
decorative works.
 Used to add elegance to hall
 Stone pillars are generally carved extensively
while wooden pillars are usually simple and
round

26.  Mural painting is a traditional painting of
Kerala.
 Vegetable dyes are used as colors
 Generally these paintings depict stories from
epics of India.
 Present homes generally have these as
decorative pieces of art and are now rarely
used on walls.

28.  Preferably in North
East corner of house
 Idols kept facing East
and those praying are
to face West
 Wooden paneling is
done on Pooja room
walls

29.  A swing piece of wood, wide and long enough
for 2-3 people to fit
 Fixed with thick coir to roof from the corners
 Usually placed in living rooms
 In observed traditional house, present in a
bedroom.

31.  Clay tiles
 Wooden flooring
 Red/Black oxide with a local mix of egg white
batter and lime is most commonly used which
gives off a rich shine on polishing.

32.  Interior wood work was done with wood
carvings by skilled artisans
 Wood was extensively used and was cheaply
available
 Teak wood was most commonly used,
followed by rosewood and mahogany.

33. Site Visit:
Residence of Rajan and Rekha
At the very least 140 years old (the couple know that
their grandfather grew up here and are unsure of the
past before that)
Location – Kumbalam, Ernakulum District

36. Modifications:
Vitrified tiling, roof extension,
decayed wooden pillars replaced
by metal ones

37. A question of age – the
cradle the house owner and
his father grew up in.

38. Right to left –
the House owner,
His Brother-in-law
and my Father

39. This is the frontal portion of the house
Front Elevation

40.  Upon interaction with the residents and
locals, such homes were constructed by
specialist carpenters, who were a tradition
once popular in Kerala
 Locally available trees were used – cut,
shaped and finished on site. Good quality
timer was available in plentiful and came
extremely cheap. Most often, the trees came
from the very same plot.
Photo from Attic
Natural lighting system

41.  The house is divided in 2 sections – the
bedrooms and store made of wood
(background) and the living room with the
kitchen made of laterite bricks bonded in
lime. (in picture)

42.  The plan, like all traditional Kerala structures,
is based on the principles of vastu sashtra
 The house is based on the ‘Nallu Kettu’ (four
ties) system, which involves a rectangular
system of construction.
 The artisans stuck to vasthu and its
principles, evident in the nature of the ratios
of dimensions of each rectangular block.
220*290 / 8015*10700 – both of which are
in a 1: 1.3 ratio

43. Ground Floor

44. Ground Floor

45.  The open passageway – chuttu verandah
surrounds the house.
 The original wooden pillars have been
replaced due to decay

47. As easily observable, the traditional artisans
loved their sense of order – everything is in
perfect line and order.
Here we have a view of the nadumuttu
through the outer door and the door to the
store is also visible

49. Living space – where the family
members get together and
also where guests are
entertained

50.  The Central open to sky courtyard.
 Internal dim 2200*2900
 Provides quality ventilation and natural
lighting
 The family comes here for relaxation

53.  The Rooms and stores were a separate block
 Western end of the house
 Wooden walls – individual panels
 Traditional keralites believed in an open
home – The house was considered a social
space which was easily accessible. All the
rooms were connected to each other, barring
the store rooms.
 The window between rooms was originally
devoid of bars and could be used to go from
room to room

54. The walls were constructed
using individual vertical
wooden planks, stacked
together and then joined

55. The joinery.
Also, the plans were held at
the ground by a thick wooden
footer that spanned the entire
length

56. This is the original
attu kattil of the
house, still strong
after so many years

57.  The doors used an unique hinge system
 Made completely of wood
 Hand crafted
 Heavily decorated

58.  Perfectly aligned and in line with surrounding
wall
 When closed, becomes invisible

59. Traditionally, Keralites had large,
joint families, which called for
extensive cooking equipment that
were stored here

61.  Continuing from previous slide, large families
= lot of bellies = lot of food
and rice being the stable food
=> LARGE RICE STORE
and there you have it.
 Raised a foot above ground level to protect
from moisture and rodents.
 Directly below it was a coconut store
accessible from the other room
(Kerala’s a coconut country :P )

62. Stair access to Attic
Coconut store

63.  Comes directly above the wooden block
consisting of the rooms and the store
 The block on the left in the background
 Red indicates the roofing limit
 The Attic is highlighted.
 Pink is the veranda

64.  The pillars are a new addition put up to
support the decaying wooden beams
 The Attic was used as a general store

65. Entry stairs to attic

66. An old pickle jar (left) and
stone pots (below)

67.  All wood roofing
 Traditional system of trusses.

69.  Different colors show different types of
supports.
 All traditional houses in kerala have a roofing
network very much similar to the same

71. Extra supports
were given at
every corner

72. The roof slopes pyramidically upwards in the right block.
In the left block, the roof slopes up at first from the outside, then slopes down
to the nadumuttom.
The Roof Plan

73. The roof slopes up…

74. Then slopes down…

75. Better explained with a section

76. Sectional sketch
Around the nadumuttom, the roof slopes inward.

78.  The kitchen is, by tradition, a bit displaced, at
the NE corner of the house
 The women of the house prepared the food
here while the men toiled in the farms
 The men were served food first
 The women always ate after, making sure that
enough food had been prepared for the entire
family

79. Panels designed for
kitchen ventilation

80. Kitchen Ventilation

81. Grinding stones were present right
outside the kitchen, used to mix
herbs, spices and other food
elements

82. Drainage from interior sink (now closed
off)
The utensils were washed here.

83. Traditionally, plates are not used in Kerala.
Instead, food is served on banana leaves,
sourced from the banana plantains that are
grown in aplenty here.

84.  Kerala homes have a rich environment around
them.
 Lots of vegetation
 Well
 Cow shed
 Prayer place

85.  Every traditional house in kerala has a well,
in addition to a pond.
 Fishes are grown in it
 Constructed of stone bricks

87.  Cows were a primary part of every kerala
home.
 Every family prided in the cows they had
 Milk was always sourced from the family
cows. Buying milk was unimaginable

88.  Was once the daily bathing pond of every
keralite
 Every home had one, where all the family
members would take their bath.
 Large homes had separate ponds for men and
women. Other places, people bathed in turns.

90. The post independence scene in Kerala architecture
presents two diverse trends - one is derived from the
modernistic style with emphasis on concrete as the
medium of construction and linear, cubical or
curvilinear shapes for expressing forms. This trend is
no different from what is seen all over India. Perhaps
the alternate stream is rooted in an enquiry into the
traditional style and the revival of functional
architecture. The use of indigenous materials,
adoption of traditional techniques and matching of
climatic needs are the features of this trend in
architecture, ardently propagated by Lawry Baker.
COSTFORD at Tiruvananthapuram and a large number
of 'Baker Houses' are good examples of this school.

91.  Kerala is slowly moving away from the old
and towards the new, as observed over the
years living in Cochin
 The state’s largest city and a rising metro.
 Changes over the past few years have been
phenomenal – buildings scraping the sky,
buildings fatter than Opera – buildings here,
buildings there, stuff popping up every
where!!

92. Selected Site –
Azad Apartments
(own residence)

93.  A Four Storied Walk Up Apartment in the
heart of Cochin
 A joint construction by the land owner and
residents
 7 similar apartments of 1350 sq ft living area
 Wire cut bricks used in construction
 RCC Pile foundation

94. Located very near a major junction,
right in the heart of Cochin

95. Site Plan

96. Front elevation

97. Ground Floor
PLAN

98. Parking Area

99. First Floor
PLAN

100. Balconies are used for gardening as well
View from apartment

101. Second Floor
PLAN

102. Third Floor
PLAN

103.  Since most residents were families with
children, a larger living area was put in place
than what is common place
 The dining is a little displaced from the
immediate, along with the kitchen, so as to
avoid the instant notice of visitors in the
living room
 Natural lighting through large windows

104. Terrace
PLAN

106. SECTION
through center

107.  Since the building is only 3+1
floors, a need for a lift was not felt
 It is also not required as per the
local rules
 However, the fire escape is almost
redundant in the building