Foundation-Soil Investigation

There are lot of wrong concepts,beliefs and wrong practices on construction of houses in Kerala depending upon location.As I have built houses in almost all parts of Kerala,I have come across these local practices and beliefs many a time and had tough time convincing local people especially in the interior parts of Kerala as almost the entire population around construction site will come to the site to supervise,question and offer free advices and suggestions sometimes cautioning the owner,sometimes threatening him with dire consequences and always opposing what we “coming from Cochin”  are doing.

First of all you have to assess the soil condition technically.In stable soil conditions,an experienced Construction Engineer will be able to assess the soil nature and suggest appropriate foundation design.In places like Cochin where most of the land is filled up or marshy area with practically not even a trace of sand even up to depths as high as 40 feet,a proper professional soil test will be essential to find out what type of foundation will be required.

While conducting such a soil test they will dig the place where the house has to come up up to about 45 feet and will collect samples of soil on the way to depths.These samples of soil will be tested in Engineering laboratory and a proper professional soil test report will be given to you.This report will be passed on to a Structural Consultant(An Engineer who has done post graduation in Structural Engineering) preferably with experience in designing structures for many years in that area.

Structural consultant will give a foundation design prepared using a software called STAAD in consultation with the Construction Engineer/Architect concerned.For smaller plots one bore for soil test will be sufficient normally done at centre of the plot.For bigger plots,more no of soil test bores will have to be used.

Engineering Estimate

After the Plan is finalised an Engineering organisation dealing with house construction will be able to give you a detailed item wise,step by step costing at least for the structure part.

From the drawings they will calculate quantity of each item of construction like brick work,concrete,plastering etc . Using data available with them about cost of inputs required for construction of each item in the Estimate like material,labour and other expenses involved,unit rates for each item can be calculated to a greater extent of correctness depending upon extent of their involvement with  regular construction activity.

If you simply get an Engineering Estimate from a design office or those with little day to day contact with actual construction activity,even though quantity of each item calculated may be correct,costing figures need not necessarily be correct as cost varies rapidly in Kerala conditions.

For work after structural work like foundation,brickwork,concreting it will be better to attempt to take cost figures after completion of structure work.One of the main reason for this is that for after structure work there are so many options each varying in cost figures at greater difference.Depending upon fund availability and your taste for finishing and interior works,cost figures will vary.You will need the guidance and assistance of your Architect in plenty at this stage even though many people think that Architect and Structural Engineer is required only at structure stage

Site clearing,leveling and filling

Once the Architect mark four boundaries of the place where your house will come up,you will have to clear that space by removing or cutting down trees or any other items that may exist in the space.

While cutting down trees make sure that you remove tree routes also.Removing root of the tree later will be difficult after cutting down top above soil portion of the trees.

It is better not to do any leveling or filling of the space before  foundation work except in case of piling foundation where you will require a clear level filled space.In the case of rubble foundation,you can do the filling after foundation rubble work is done.

After the site is cleared your architect will have to do set out of the building at site.In some cases Architect may issue a Set out plan of the house and work in charge may do this set out work.But it will be better to do this very important step of construction in presence of the person who designed the house as he will be able to make any minor changes if required on the spot.

Set out of the plan is nothing but drawing plan of your house on the land where it comes with strings and posts.Traditionally it was called as “Kutti adi”.Central line of the brick wall is  drawn by using strings and wooden posts.

Loosing technology of our elders

There are so many specialties of construction of houses in Kerala adopted by our earlier experts of House construction.Most of these die with that expert as he never bothers to pass on the knowledge to next generation.With his death ,the technology dies.

We have heard a lot on Perumthachan.There are  exceptionally great work of Architecture used in temple construction at Uliyannoor  near Alwaye where Perumthachan used to live.Whatever extra ordinary capabilities Perumthachan had in designing and building is not available in any books and nobody has made an attempt to study specialties of those buildings.Similarly the technology of making tiled roof with wooden rafters which was so common in Kerala of yester years is practically lost as it is very difficult to find people who know about such roof structure work now as nobody practically do such roof work now.In one of the houses which I built about ten years back,owner of the house(An Advocate of high court of Kerala,who is no more now) insisted on having such a roof for portion of his house facing a lake at Kadavanthra in Cochin.Even though he called me to see the work in progress,even I did not bother to learn the technique from those carpenters.

There are so many special features of olden days Kerala Architecture which are simply forgotten.It will be good if some one can at least make a study of such features by visiting such old buildings and houses in Kerala.Thekkanattu Parayil house at Thycattussery near Cherthala which is about 120 years old is one of those remarkable houses using olden days Kerala architecture features.

Locating position to build house

This is again something used to be done by Asaris as a part of their secret knowledge never explained how to anyone.The so called”Sthanam Kanal” will be done by the Asari by performing so many intricate steps like telling the owner of the house to cut a tree branch from anywhere in the plot.

Owner of the house is supposed to walk towards east and cut a tree branch which has flowing fluid coming out when you cut the tree branch.Some of the owners must be knowing this and they will walk correctly and cut the correct tree branch.If they do not do like this knowingly or unknowingly then construction of house is not supposed to be auspicious.

Question of locating position of house arises only when you have more space in the land.If you have a three cents plot and after leaving free spaces as per Building rules,you do not have much options.

I have tried to enquire with these sthanam kanal experts about how they go about locating most appropriate place for house in a larger plot,nobody was willing to part with the secrets.So I searched Vasthu books about this issue.

In a larger plot,you divide the land into four equal parts.Then position your house in the North east part and in cases where north east part is not big enough to have a house,keep it as close as possible to North East.North East in any case is Easanya which is the most auspicious place of the land.So this is as simple as that and you can find out the most appropriate place for house now without having to call an Asari who will simply make lot of exhibition of words and acts before he finally put that first wood post to mark location of house without ever explaining why he chosen that place.

Again as Per Vasthu books this first “kutti adikkal”(placing wooden post to mark beginning of house construction) should be done at the most auspicious time by consulting an Astrologer.This being the first act of construction is more important than usual Stone laying ceremony which is just a function and nothing more.

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Designing a house-Different types of houses

There are basically four type of houses in Kerala scenario.

1.Functional House

2.Status symbol house

3.Farm house

4.Luxury house

If you are having few cents of land just sufficient to build your house to meet your basic needs for a house,you will have to think in terms of a functional house.

If you want to construct your house in your native village with sufficient and more land for house construction and if you want the house to be built to establish a new identity of affluence to all those neighbors and local people who till today considered you as a small fly,you have to get a house which will speak loudly for you about your newly acquired financial status.This house can be called as a status symbol house

If you have cultivable large piece of land which can be used for agricultural use and if you simply want to have a farm house to spend your holidays and vacation once in a while ,when you come for a holiday from your job abroad,it can be called as a Farm house where  bare minimum facilities with more emphasis on comfort and convenience rather than on show is required.

Luxury house can be built in towns/cities or even in village areas when money is not your constraint.You need facilities,comforts and splendor to show off to talk of your prime position acquired in society using your hard earned money.House should have all modern facilities to talk of your affluence and to make you feel happy and comfortable about your financial achievements in life