Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mudiyettu
The State is rich in Wood,
Bamboo, Laterite, Stone, Mud
Clay, Terracotta, Lime, Palm and
is plentiful in its water
resources.
Natural building materials are stones, timber,
clay and palm leaves
Laterite, available across the state, is a rare
local stone which gets stronger and durable
with exposure at atmospheric air. Laterite
blocks may be bonded in mortars of shell
lime, which has been the classic binding
material used in traditional buildings. Lime
mortar can be improved in strength and
performance by admixtures of vegetable
juices.
Timber is the prime structural material
abundantly available in many varieties in
Kerala - from bamboo to teak. Perhaps the
skilful choice of timber, accurate joinery,
artful assembly and delicate carving of wood
work for columns, walls and roofs frames are
the unique characteristics of Kerala
architecture.
Clay was used in many forms - for walling, in
filling the timber floors and making bricks
and tiles after pegging and tempering with
admixtures. Palm leaves were used effectively
for thatching the roofs and for making
partition walls.
A mixed mode of construction was evolved in
Kerala architecture. The stone work was
restricted to the plinth even in importatnt
buildings such as temples. Laterite was used
for walls. The roof structure in timber was
covered with palm leaf thatching for most
buildings and rarely with tiles for palaces or
temples. The exterior of the laterite walls
were either left as such or plastered with lime
mortar to serve as the base for mural
painting.
Thatchu Shasthra, or the Science of Carpentry
and traditional Vasthu, was the governing
science in this architectural form.
This branch of knowledge was well developed
in the traditional architecture of Kerala and
has created its own branch of literature
known under the names of Tantrasamuchaya,
Vastuvidya, Manushyalaya - Chandrika, and
Silparatna.
Perumthachan also spelled as "Perunthachan“
meaning (the master carpenter or the master
craftsman) is an honorific title that is used to
refer to an ancient legendary carpenter(Asari),
architect, woodcarver and sculptor from
Kerala. However Perumthachan is an
important figure in the folklore of Kerala and
many a wondrous structure and architecture
that still stand are attributed to him.
Structure containing a door
forming part of Compound
wall
Tiled roof on top
Formal entry to the
compound with the house
Traditional type lamp
below the roof
Entrance of the house - climbing up steps in
the front slope tiled roof with pillars
supporting roof.
Sides are open
In the earlier days, the Head of the family
called ‘Karanavar’ used to sit here in a
reclining chair This chair will have long rails
on either side where the Karanavar will keep
his legs raised for comfortable rest
Onam celebrations in
front of the Poomukham
From the Poomukham you
can walk to either side in
front of the house through
open passage called Chuttu
Verandah
Chuttu Verandah will have
equidistant hanging lights
from its slope roof.
By the side of Chuttu
Verandah and
Poomukham, wooden
benches with carved
decorative wooden pieces
for resting the back are
provided.
The family members and
visitors sit on these
Charupady to talk.
It exists in two forms –
In most houses:
At the end of Chuttu Verandah – a small pond
built with rubble on sides
Traditionally, Lotuses are grown in it, along
with other water plants
Very large homes and temples usually
Have a large enclosed pond where
members of the family and visitors come
to bathe.
and my Father
Front Elevation
This is the frontal portion of the house
Upon interaction with the residents and
locals, such homes were constructed by
specialist carpenters, who were a tradition
once popular in Kerala
Locally available trees were used – cut,
shaped and finished on site. Good quality
timer was available in plentiful and came
extremely cheap. Most often, the trees came
from the very same plot.
Coconut store
Comes directly above the wooden block
consisting of the rooms and the store
The block on the left in the background
Red indicates the roofing limit
The Attic is highlighted.
Pink is the veranda
The pillars are a new addition put up to
support the decaying wooden beams
The Attic was used as a general store
Entry stairs to attic
An old pickle jar (left) and
stone pots (below)
All wood roofing
Traditional system of trusses.
Different colors show different types of
supports.
All traditional houses in kerala have a roofing
network very much similar to the same
Extra supports
were given at
every corner
The Roof Plan
The roof slopes pyramidically upwards in the right block.
In the left block, the roof slopes up at first from the outside, then slopes down
to the nadumuttom.
The roof slopes up…
Then slopes down…
Better explained with a section
Sectional sketch
Around the nadumuttom, the roof slopes inward.
The kitchen is, by tradition, a bit displaced, at
the NE corner of the house
The women of the house prepared the food
here while the men toiled in the farms
The men were served food first
The women always ate after, making sure that
enough food had been prepared for the entire
family
Panels designed for
kitchen ventilation
Kitchen Ventilation
Grinding stones were present right
outside the kitchen, used to mix
herbs, spices and other food
elements
Drainage from interior sink (now closed
off)