: ‘Mud Isn’t Kaccha’: In Rajasthan, A Regal Farmhouse Stays Naturally Cool in the Desert #IndiaNEWS #Architecture Amidst honey-coloured buildings and havelis that dot the landscape of Chittorgarh,

‘Mud Isn’t Kaccha’: In Rajasthan, A Regal Farmhouse Stays Naturally Cool in the Desert #IndiaNEWS #Architecture
Amidst honey-coloured buildings and havelis that dot the landscape of Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, one home seems to be as though a picture from a postcard.

The building is palatial enough to leave any passerby mesmerised by its appearance. One may even predict that the most luxurious raw materials have gone into the making of this farmhouse. But Shreya Srivastava, architect and founder of Studio Shunya, tells us it’s quite the contrary.

“When I was approached for this fascinating project, I was given the brief to create something that exudes luxury, but at the same time, was an ode to the heritage of Rajasthan,??? the 26-year-old tells The Better India.

The Jain family outside their sustainable home, Picture credits: Shreya Srivastava

Her venture, she adds, has always focused on a zero-energy building design. So she was excited at the prospect of the challenge, which was to create a luxury space that was sustainable.

Through the years as an architect, Shreya was faced with the tussle of choosing between stylish facades and adhering to her values of being in tune with the environment.

“I’d come to realise how the cement sector is the third largest industrial source of pollution. The client and I came to the consensus of designing the farmhouse in a way that involved a minimum running cost, while being beautiful,??? she adds.

Raunak Jain, the client, is a resident of Chhitorgarh and the director of a construction company. He approached Shreya to design the farmhouse on a one-acre site, and commissioned the 5,500 sq ft farmhouse for Rs 5,000 per sq ft.

The entire home reflects elegance, Picture credits: Shreya Srivastava

Infusing luxury with sustainability

“A mud home is usually thought of as kaccha,??? says Shreya, explaining that this was the notion she wanted to change through the project.

She says the first step was to hire local contractors and masons to use indigenous materials in construction.

“We wanted a mud home. Thus, we have an RCC (reinforced cement concrete)-framed structure that is 80 per cent mud. ??? Pointing to the walls, Shreya says they have been built using lime plasters.

The architect says the structure only gets stronger with time because the features of lime plaster are enhanced with age. “The material helps maintain preferred humidity levels while also purifying the indoor air,??? she adds.

The rooms have araish plaster, Picture credits: Shreya Srivastava

As one admires the walls, they cannot help but notice the beautiful paintings. These have been made by students from the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi and are a way of promoting the young talents of the country, she says.