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| HOMES
TOO HAVE TO BREATH EASY |
Proper ventilation in homes is important because
of a lot of reasons. Proper ventilation is
necessary for a good atmosphere and quality
of living.
Passive ventilation is not only good for the
body and mind, but also makes for lower power
bills, as it minimises the need to switch
on fans for cooling. Traditional houses in
Kerala were designed to provide plenty of
natural ventilation by having a four sided
integrated structures facing the four directions
and a `nadumuttom' or central compound, which
let in not only air and light but also the
rain. Vasthu, the ancient building code, takes
into account the need for proper ventilation
in houses.Some architects borrowed from tradition
in an attempt to promote natural ventilation
in the most cost-effective manner. Honeycombed
walls instead of windows cut costs
Modern architecture too has accepted the traditional
concepts and improved upon them. In the process,
certain drawbacks of old-style buildings,
such as small and dark interiors, were overcome.
They have an imperative to save energy and
skylights or roof-lights have emerged as a
popular lighting system for commercial as
well as residential buildings.
Another technique inspired from tradition,
is the `mukhappu’, an air vent located
at the side of the sloping roof. The roof
acts as a chimney to allow the hot humid air
to escape so that cooler air from outside
is virtually sucked in. Providing optimum
ventilation becomes a costly proposition as
large windows mean that much more timber and
steel for construction.
Security concerns can cause new age modifications
to the designs borrowed from traditional techniques.
The `nadumuttom' now has to be fortified by
an iron grill fixed directly to the section
of the concrete roof over it.
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