After their marriage in 2004, Ashis and Madhulika Panda decided to settle in rural Rajasthan, away from the hustle and bustle of metro cities.
Before designing their dream home, they spent 10 months researching environmentally-friendly and sustainable houses, during which they consulted several architects and studied houses as old as 150 years.
“In Rajasthan, old houses and palaces were built with stone and lime. These structures, despite not using cement and steel, outperform Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC)-built homes, which often deteriorate in just a few decades,” says Ashis.
So, the couple employed a traditional roof construction method. They mixed lime, jaggery, fenugreek, and ropes for this purpose. “This keeps the roof cool and waterproof,” says Ashis.
Constructed in an area of 3,200 square feet, the two-storey house has good ventilation and lighting. They installed windows in the West direction to let in ample light.
As the South direction gets the most sunlight, the couple positioned their bedrooms in the North-East and South-East directions.
“Rajasthan remains hot throughout the year except December and January. So, avoiding heat was our primary concern. The temperature inside our room remains 5 to 7 degrees cooler than the outside,” adds Ashis.
The couple has installed solar panels of 3 KW capacity and also collects all the rainwater that falls on their house and treats the greywater of the household.
They manage to conserve 2.25 lakh litres of water every year. Other than meeting daily water needs, the couple uses this water for emergency situations as well.
“For example, when our borewell dries up during the hotter months like May and June. Domestic water supply is erratic in these summer months,” says Ashis.
It took the couple about 16 months to build this house. “It gives us immense pleasure to be able to help people adapt to a lifestyle that is environmentally conscious,” he says.