Laterite Brick Eco Friendly House

I recently visited my Mama’s house (Uncle - Dr. Anantha Krishna Kamath) in Sullia Taluk. I instantly liked the house for its uniqueness. The house was entirely built using laterite stone bricks. This is not something new since Laterite stones are commonly used for construction purposes in undivided Dakshina Kannada Districts due to its availability in plenty. The houses built using this bricks will usually plaster it with cement and paint it losing the original look and feel of it. Uniqueness of this house is, the natural look of the bricks is left as it is.

It really requires very specialized skill handling these bricks.  Craftsmen who built this house have made texture of the bricks so fine and shining, though the bricks surface looks rough, I am surprised to see the fineness of the surface. I was told, they have even sprayed the fine powder made out of these bricks to enhance the natural look of the bricks.

The house looked traditional yet contemporary; the interior of the house is cooler during summer and warmer during winter and monsoon season.  If you enter this house in noon exhausted of scorching sun and heat, you will instantly get refreshed, getting a feeling an air-conditioned house. It feels so pleasant that the scorching sun and heat has no impact inside the house. Instead of cement a mixture of Lime and jiggery is used to fill the gaps between the bricks for construction which is an old traditional construction technique which we can see in old temple buildings in Coastal Karnataka.

The house looks so eco-friendly and you feel as if you are with nature and the natural green surrounding this house really enhanced that feeling.

I have captured some fine pictures of this house to explain what I said above. Hope you like this post, Leave your comments, I will be happy J