Name & Location : ‘A Country Retreat’- Rajsamadhiyala. Village Rajsamadhiyala, Dist Rajkot, Gujarat
Cost of Project : (INR) 23 lakhs
Built-up area: 203 sq m
(In case of Public Building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meter)

Description of Project

The Site The location of the house is in a village called Rajsamadhiyala, 18 km away from Rajkot city. The site is located on the periphery of the village, on a mound and next to the village water tank. Being a hilly region, the site and the plot offered breath taking vistas of the horizon.

Program Brief ‘A retired couple wanting to build a small house in a village away from the rush of the town.’ How to build minimum and what construction techniques to be used? (mere it is also helpful for the villagers) was the main concern of the design.

The physical features of the site were guiding reference for the location of the main house and the annexe. The rock out crop area on site became a court for the house, which was a generative of the design. The extreme and lowest south- west comer, adjoining the village roads became to house utility, parking and guard’s room.

The design language of both the built forms is extremely different, separating the response to the village as well as functionality. The main house divided in two parts most private — bedroom and the kitchen, by the court. Both these spaces offers very different vistas. The location of the kitchen  was done keeping in mind the views it offered; of the village temple and village houses, the notion accentuated by placing a window directly above the kitchen platform. The semi-covered living space and the bedroom enjoy the solace and expanding views.
The annexe is built to meet the needs for the utility of the main house, its location was chosen keeping in mind the level difference of the site, and the views for the main house. This house demonstrates its simplicity not only by its location or function but also by restraining form and use materials.

The annexe is built to meet the needs for the utility of the main house, its location was chosen keeping in mind the level difference of the site, and the views for the main house. This house demonstrates its simplicity not only by its location or function but also by restraining form and use materials.

Materials of Construction Details

The construction techniques and the material palette were governed out of budgetary constraints and more importantly to introduce
alternative construction methods in a village.

The walls are made out of locally available bricks and Kalmidh (black Basalt stone). Several old windows and doors were procured from
broken building yard to be conserved and reused. The masonry openings of the window in main house and in annexe were carefully derived
in design for reuse purpose and to suit the function. The space where large openings for view were important, aluminium section is used.

In main spaces, the roof was designed as a vault made with the hollow circular fired earthen pots. The circulation areas has flat roof Vith filler
slab made with fired earthen circular bowls. The vault is an adaptation of technique developed by CSV, Wardha for low-cost housing and
modified here for more affluent clients. However, it still is economically cheap compared to RCC and is more resource conserving.

The parts of the paving through the landscape are done by locally available and used fire bricks from kiln and waste ceramic jar lids. The fire
bricks from the kiln were used as second flooring material along Vith the Kota stone. These bricks were also used on top of the kitchen
platform finished by a transparent waterproofing, replacing costly granite stone.

Special Features

The spanning of the main spaces is governed by the vault dimension of 3.3 m. The vault shape is derived from prefabricated metal truss
frame used earlier in similar vault construction elsewhere by the architects. Local potter was to make the pots, hence cutting on cost. The
vaulted roof required no steel, the stability derived from the geometry of the catenary curve of the vault. The whole assembly from erection to
finishing was completed in three days, as per the technique guidelines from CSV Wardha; again saving on resources. The flat portion of the
roof is filler slab to reduce the weight and use of concrete.

The use of the old wood windows and aluminium windows added a flavour to the house for its location in the village as well as speaking of
contemporary vernacular.

The paving was done with glazed ceramic jar lids, and fire bricks from kilns procured free of cost from the ceramic factory as waste material.
This had multiple advantages; using industrial waste, not using fresh materials, clearing the debris sites near to the ceramic industries,
opening of the top soil, cutting down on the cost of the project, etc.

The use of old windows, ceramic waste material and the vaulted roof was introduced in a village to make villagers aware of alternative
construction techniques and materials, and also to increase awareness towards saving on resources.

Salient Features of the Project— “Country Retreat”
Aspects of Green Architecture

What really is green!? How does one integrate the design with the materials used and detailing? The building when designed sensitively becomes energy efficient not only in terms of material sourced but also in terms of how is it put together in terms of construction methods.’ Such buildings have less material wastages and post occupancy; requires less maintenance. It thus becomes a large resource saver concluding to overall energy savings.

Design and Location of Functions

1. The location of the main house is towards north and the landscape design is done towards the southern part of the plot. Overall site preparation is divided of two parts, landscaped area towards south where endemic shade giving trees are to be planted and the natural open part towards the north. Ground fixing is only done with locally available bricks to provide direct access to the usable open areas and that too without any impervious sub grade thus allowing maximum rain water to percolate.

2. The orientation of the functions are best suitable to efficiently use the sun direction, hence reliance on artificial lighting and ventilation is very minimal.

Material and construction

3. Primary materials as brick, stone and terracotta tumblers(for the roof) are resourced locally reducing the cost of procurement. It also helps the local skill enhancement. During the project, one potter was given special skill to fire the tumbler in order to derive the desired colour.
4. The masonry opening sizes are designed and located as per the old windows procured from windows of demolished buildings.
5. Roof is made with locally made terracotta tumbler. The technology used is offshoot of the one developed by CSV Wardha and draws upon it in order to achieve a desired spatial experience. This construction method achieves faster erection time (only 3 days from start to removal of
shuttering; another week for the mortar to set); uses no steel or concrete (as in a conventional RCC slab). Since it is a catenary curve, it being in pure compression requires minimal support for load bearing. The roof thus saves time and labour resource.
6. The flat roof (in RCC), wherever required, is designed in cognisance with the idea to save on the concrete being used in the slab. The fired clay bowls are used as filler material to reduce material consumption. The bowls in turn are locally produced cutting down on total volume cost by 30%.
7. The semi open area and outdoor paving is done with waste glazed ceramic jar lids and used fire bricks from local foundry kilns. These are8.
procured free of cost from the ceramic factory as waste material.

multiple advantages:

a. Using industrial waste in a manner that is harmless for residential use.
b. Thus not using fresh materials,
c. Clearing the debris sites near to the ceramic industries. This being bio-non degradable, would have remained at such sites for ever.
d. By using the material from debris sites, we could open up top soil by a little bit. But if more users take to this idea then vast stretch of
land fill areas can be opened.
e. Of course, cutting down on the cost of the project.
8. The details of the house are designed in simplest manner to work efficiently using the minimum material amalgamation.

Aesthetics and finishes

9. The design is integrated in terms of finishes.
a. The walls of semi open areas of the living room are kept rough keeping in mind the semi-arid nature of the site. It will have a rustic feel typical of a village house. These areas have rough stone flooring along with fire clay brick patterns.
b. The interior of the bedroom and of the kitchen are similarly plastered keeping in mind the need to achieve a certain level of cleanliness. These areas have polished natural stone finish.
10. The external surfaces in stone are left exposed.
11. The roof water is fed into a 5000 litre under ground tank. This will be sufficient to provide drinking water to the family during the water scarce summer months from March to June.

Post Occupancy Energy Savings

12. The waste water from the kitchen is directly fed in to the vegetable garden. Provision for a grease trap is made to remove access oil component.
13. There is a provision for a bio-gas plant (not installed currently). When the desired occupancy levels are reached (two adults and two children using the toilets everyday) and in the next phase, this gas plant can generate gas enough to cook food one time a day for a family of four. Thus the overall savings would be 50% of the conventional LPG usage.