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Architecture

2021

Photographer : Jishnu Vijay

A home leftover was literally a home that was left by a organisation whichpromised to economically support it, and was hence created by leftover materials and in-house labour. The project commenced as a low income house economically supported by an organisation on a land the clients owned. The design was planned for a 1200 sq. ft. two floored residence. Once the foundation was completed the support group withdrew, and the clients barely had finances to finish 500sqft. Now the task was to keep the leftover foundation and come up with a new design substantiating the need of a three bedroom house.

Ego Design Studio was working on the renovation of a high budget house in kowdiar when the project commenced, owing to the problems in economy the office approached the client whose house was being demolished to support “a home leftover” by donating the wooden windows that was removed. The client (Mr. Sugathan) was extremely generous and provided with the windows free of cost. The project was started on this support and then mode material donations were tried.

Chathannoor,Kerala,India

Architects	:	Ego Design Studio
Area	:	1050 sq. ft.
Year	:	2021
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/egodesignstudio_official/

Side view of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Exterior view of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Living and Dining of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

The house was built from leftover materials from construction sites and discarded materials sourced from building material industries by donors who were ready to support a low income house.

The plan was a basic square with almost no interior walls. keeping the material quantity to bare minimum.

The first thing was to source the materials at the cheapest possible rates. The walls were done with interlocking mud blocks sourced from building material manufacturers (BUILD UP) nearby, who provided us with their bricks free of cost.

The windows and doors were sourced from a demolition site free of cost. The only thing left were the materials needed for concreting, and the steel for roofing and the labour. The area of concreting was limited to half the floor area and the remaining was covered by metal sheets.

The client himself was a carpenter which took care of the wood works needed, the remaining labour was procured by the support of his friends at base rates at times they were free or did not have work.

Now that the materials and labour was sorted out, the next question was “WHY SHOULD ALL LOW INCOME HOUSES BE SMALL WINDOWLESS DARK CUBES?”

Dining and Living of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Convertable space dining of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

The plain flat site was located away from the town and had no vehicular access, only a walkable road along its North side. The East face had lush green vegetation and paddy fields beyond it. Unlike all the other houses around, which faced the 4 feet walking track, “the home leftover” was designed facing this greenery (east) rather than the road.

The site also had their old house which was a 15 ft x 15 ft shed with concrete block walls and sheet roof. A dark single room block without any windows to accommodate a family of four (parents/ two children). The only source of light inside being the entry door and a TV inside.

Convertable space prayer of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Staircase of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Top Floor Bedroom of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Bedspace of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Study area of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

The design was attempted in stark contrast to the space they already lived in. The dark one room single storied space was converted into an all white double height volume with ample openings. The front wall facing east was made into an all window wall (a collage of windows collected from another renovation site), facing the lush green exterior.

The building was designed as a single large cuboidal volume with minimum walls, with bedroom and toilet as a solid block on the ground floor, and the daughters’ room as a solid block on the upper floor, with interior balconies overlooking the volume and exterior facing the greens The inner void volume accommodates their need for religious gatherings and caters to their carpentry related activities in the monsoons.

Balcony of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

Sitout of A Home Leftover by Ego Design Studio

A home leftover was an attempt to create a shelter for a family who belonged to Low Income Group. The building was conceived as a skin which can be modified as and when the user needs, and can also be expanded as they get financially stable. The architectural framework was given , the colour and interior details are all decisions of the client, executed as and when time and resources permit. The involvement there by helping them to feel ownership of the building.

The project was an experiment on how every big budget project could fund a small budget

project parallaly, at the same cost.

● It could be done by facilitating wasted materials of one site to be used in another project

● It could be done by arranging for about 10% more materials while purchasing for one project

So when one big budget home is done, another family which cannot afford a house also gets a home, So every house becomes two houses...