KOCHI: Imagine this — a house made out of pre-loved, second-hand articles and discarded scrap. While the plushy sofa set could easily pass off as a designer one, it was made using worn-out tyres. Rotting wood becomes a chic dining tabletop. Sustainability is the mantra for Neeraj Viswam V S, owner of Blue Hammer Developers.
The house oozes grandeur and charm at every corner. The little or no use of wood catches one’s eye at first. Except for the dining table top and clocks, there aren’t any wooden patches in the house. “The amount of wood used in Kerala architecture concerns me because of the number of trees that get cut and how much it costs. There are many effective alternatives to wood,” says Neeraj.
Even the front door of the home is made of steel. The windows are made of square tubes collected from scrap vendors. The tubes also make up the balcony areas and cabinets in the kitchen. “We can easily cut ten per cent of the total making cost by replacing wood with other articles,” he says.
Blue Hammer Developers manage both construction and designing of homes. According to Neeraj, Malayalis like to overspend on their homes — for luxury and to show off. “For instance, they have a fixation with false ceilings. But there are always other interesting alternatives you can go for, and keep your home luxurious within the budget,” says Neeraj, who makes a false ceiling out of discarded iron mesh. Get the lighting right and add some plants, and the wire mesh false ceiling looks like a designer panel.
The ceilings of the upcycled home have been created using the filler slab method, integrating earthen pots into the ceiling. According to Neeraj, such ceilings reduce heat indoors while also making construction cheaper.
The bamboo window is another added attraction. One can tilt the bamboo pieces to create a privacy screen. Left-over tile pieces are integrated into the wash area. The adjoining pebble wall makes for a niche space filled with creepers. “It is a gabion wall set up usually as compound walls,” says Neeraj. Oxide is used on walls to ward off the chemicals in the paint. A blue and green oxide wall makes the kitchen area colourful.
The experiments aren’t limited to walls and ceilings. The floor uses waste tiles from stores. “Often, when people buy tiles, a few boxes remain as leftovers. The shops can’t sell them. So, I buy these art half-price,” he says.
In the homes Neeraj creates, nothing goes to waste. The freedom that the client gives is important in crafting such spaces, he adds. “Whenever I collect these articles, I would take them along and show them. People have the misconception that when you construct a new home, everything has to be brand new. Well that’s an old school of thought,” says Neeraj.