Flintstones-Style House Made of Soil, Stone and Waste | Mitti Architects | Tamil Nadu

Conceived and crafted by Mitti Architects, Flinstone 6 is a modern building with a sustainable flair, hidden inside a Mango grove amongst the arid landscape in the outskirts of Bangalore in Kodiga Timmanapalli, Tamil Nadu. Designed on the lines of classic TV gem Fred Flintstone's cave house, this home depicts the creative use of granite quarry waste, river stones and indigenous cactus plants.

"The idea was to camouflage the building into its surroundings, so as to not stand out as an eyesore in the scenic landscape. Also, the COVID situation posed a limitation on the availability of raw materials, compelling us to focus on incorporating the available soil and waste into the building with a technique called as the Debris Wall Construction," shares Fawaz Thengilan, Principal architect and founder of Mitti.

Sustainable Model House

The owners, Mr. Abhishek Ubale and Mrs. Sunaina, of this 180 square metre home purchased a farm in Sanctity Ferme, a farming community, after pandemic-induced consistent lockdowns causing shifts in routines and increasing uncertainty about the future. 

"The community, which was practising organic farming techniques and promoting its vision of consistent contact with the natural surroundings, was already planning for sustainable model houses for the residents. This became the perfect opportunity to explore the possibility of building, sensibly in untouched virgin landscapes," Thengilan further adds.

The landscape is designed keeping in mind the arid theme, corresponding to the dry climate of the region, composed of indigenous cactus plants, granite quarry waste for the paving and river stones lined to form a Koi pond.

Modern and Calm Organic Interiors 

The 2 bed cottage has a multi-functional hall with an open kitchen. The house has parallel walls on the northern and southern sides that mimic the characteristics of Rocky Mountains in the Cauvery basin region. Trees cohabit with the building, making it an extension of nature. 

The composite Casuarina-glazed roof acts as a sundial and the composite Casuarina-ferrocement roof doubles up as a party terrace. The Stair-room was inverted to avoid building an upper storey which would have been an obstruction in the neighbours' view of the farm. 

"The interiors were planned very minimally and subtly toned down to not steal the thunder of the Debris Walls using a neutral material palette. The rock bed in the master bedroom is a reclaimed quarry waste piece from nearby abandoned quarry, Thengilan explains. 

Basins have been carved out from granite boulders picked from landfills. Some of the furniture’s also have been made from reclaimed wood. Thus tying into the theme of the house of reusing, being sustainable and being 'green'. 

Flintstone6 is an abode rooted deep in nature, humbly blending in to do its job - being invisible in the landscape.

Project Details

About the Firm

MITTI, an eco-friendly practice founded by Architect Fawaz Thengilan and Vishnu Kuruvanamchery in rural Tamilnadu during COVID 2020. Mitti focus on using waste and vernacular as primary materials along with alternative building techniques. Mitti believes in modernity and luxury at the same time. 

Keep reading SURFACES REPORTER for more such news stories.

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