Kerala is known for its architectural excellence, and it is easy to understand why it is home to some of the most beautiful traditional house designs in the world. One of the most popular styles of traditional Kerala house designs is the sloped roofs. These sloping roofs are often made of wood and are decorated with terracotta and clay tiles to give it a unique look. The roofs are often designed in layers which gives them a steep, pyramid-like shape. Natural stone walls are another common element in traditional Kerala house designs. The stone walls can often reach heights that are truly awe-inspiring and these walls often feature intricate carvings and motifs that create a magical, traditional look. Traditional Kerala house designs feature large windows and balconies that provide an unobstructed view of the natural curls. These large openings let natural light and positive energies inside, which help to create an inviting and peaceful atmosphere. The openings also let in the cooling ocean breeze for a much needed reprieve from the sweltering Indian summer heat.1. Traditional Kerala House Design with Sloping Roofs | Kerala Style Traditional House Design with Natural Stone Walls
Traditional Kerala House Design with Sloping Roofs
Kerala is home to many traditional bungalow designs and they are quite popular among tourists, expats and locals alike. Built with beautiful materials, traditional bungalows are characterized by spacious courtyards, open verandas, and patterned windows. One of the most common elements of traditional bungalow designs is the central courtyard. This open-air courtyard functions as a communal area, and it helps to bring the family and friends together. The courtyard helps to provide privacy and also offers an outdoor seating, making it perfect for leisurely afternoons. Traditional Kerala house designs with courtyards feature tall latticework, which is often adorned with colourful bougainvillea. The latticework helps to provide protection from the hot summer sun, while also providing a beautiful accent to the overall design of the house. Infact, these lattices are believed to bring positive energies into the house, directly from the sky.2. Kerala Traditional Bungalow Design | Traditional Courtyard Style Kerala House Design
Kerala Style Traditional House Design with Natural Stone Walls
Verandas in traditional Kerala house designs are usually attached to the front of the homes. These verandas offer a shaded sitting area that is perfect for relaxation and morning coffees. The verandas are further outfitted with built-in seating, and they are usually covered with a canopy of green vines. The veranda is often integerated with the inside of the home, with rich wooden floors and traditional furnishings. In addition to the veranda, traditional Kerala house designs often feature a traditional Nalukettu, which is essentially a large open hall that often contains four to five bedrooms. The Nalukettu design is quite popular in Kerala and it will feature tall pillars and wooden beams used to create a traditional open-air space, which serves as the communal living area. Decorative motifs are often incorporated into the Nalukettu design.3. Kerala State Traditional Home Design with Verandas | Kerala Home with Traditional Nalukettu Design
Kerala Traditional Bungalow Design
Traditional Kerala house designs often feature a vegetable garden located in the back. This vegetable garden is usually outfitted with terracotta flowerpots and trellises that support climbing vines. Theterracotta pots can be custom designed and decorated with traditional motifs, and providing an attractive accent to the garden. The vegetables that are grown in the garden can be used in regular cooking, providing families with a steady supply of fresh, organic produce. Cornices are another popular feature of traditional Kerala house designs. These decorative cornices are carved to be ornamental and adorn the grand entranceway, or even the edges of balconies. They can be made with a variety of materials, such as wood, stone and copper, and they add a unique traditional vibe to the home.4. Kerala Style Traditional Vegetable Garden Design | Decorative Cornices for Kerala Traditional House Design
Traditional Courtyard Style Kerala House Design
Vastu shastra is a traditional Indian architectural science, and many traditional Kerala house designs feature Vastu-compliant features. The Vastu-shastra is designed to bring harmony between humans and nature, and it can greatly improve the energy levels of a home. Designers of traditional Kerala house designs use Vastu-shastra to create an environment free of negative energies and filled with positive, uplifting energies. In addition to the Vastu-shastra, natural stone cladding is widely used in traditional Kerala house designs. Natural stone adds a timeless, classic look to the home and is an attractive, yet functional feature. The stone is often carved into intricate patterns and motifs to create a unique look that will last for centuries.5. Traditional Kerala House Design with Vastu-Compliant Features | Natural Stone Cladding for the Kerala Traditional House Design
Kerala State Traditional Home Design with Verandas
Kerala is known for its architectural excellence, and it is easy to understand why it is home to some of the most beautiful traditional house designs in the world. One of the most popular styles of traditional Kerala house designs is the sloped roofs. These sloping roofs are often made of wood and are decorated with terracotta and clay tiles to give it a unique look. The roofs are often designed in layers which gives them a steep, pyramid-like shape. Natural stone walls are another common element in traditional Kerala house designs. The stone walls can often reach heights that are truly awe-inspiring and these walls often feature intricate carvings and motifs that create a magical, traditional look. Traditional Kerala house designs feature large windows and balconies that provide an unobstructed view of the natural curves. These large openings let natural light and positive energies inside, which help to create an inviting and peaceful atmosphere. The openings also let in the cooling ocean breeze for a much needed reprieve from the sweltering Indian summer heat.6. Kerala Traditional House Design with Sloping Roofs | Kerala Style Traditional House Design with Natural Stone Walls
Kerala Home with Traditional Nalukettu Design
Kerala is home to many traditional bungalow designs and they are quite popular among tourists, expats and locals alike. Built with beautiful materials, traditional bungalows are characterized by spacious courtyards, open verandas, and patterned windows. One of the most common elements of traditional bungalow designs is the central courtyard. This open-air courtyard functions as a communal area, and it helps to bring the family and friends together. The courtyard helps to provide privacy and also offers an outdoor seating, making it perfect for leisurely afternoons. Traditional Kerala house designs with courtyards feature tall latticework, which is often adorned with colourful bougainvillea. The latticework helps to provide protection from the hot summer sun, while also providing a beautiful accent to the overall design of the house. Infact, these lattices are believed to bring positive energies into the house, directly from the sky.7. Kerala Traditional Bungalow Design | Traditional Courtyard Style Kerala House Design
Kerala Style Traditional Vegetable Garden Design
Verandas in traditional Kerala house designs are usually attached to the front of the homes. These verandas offer a shaded sitting area that is perfect for relaxation and morning coffees. The verandas are further outfitted with built-in seating, and they are usually covered with a canopy of green vines. The veranda is often integerated with the inside of the home, with rich wooden floors and traditional furnishings. In addition to the veranda, traditional Kerala house designs often feature a traditional Nalukettu, which is essentially a large open hall that often contains four to five bedrooms. The Nalukettu design is quite popular in Kerala and it will feature tall pillars and wooden beams used to create a traditional open-air space, which serves as the communal living area. Decorative motifs are often incorporated into the Nalukettu design.8. Kerala State Traditional Home Design with Verandas | Kerala Home with Traditional Nalukettu Design
Decorative Cornices for Kerala Traditional House Design
Traditional Kerala house designs often feature a vegetable garden located in the back. This vegetable garden is usually outfitted with terracotta flowerpots and trellises that support climbing vines. Theterracotta pots can be custom designed and decorated with traditional motifs, and providing an attractive accent to the garden. The vegetables that are grown in the garden can be used in regular cooking, providing families with a steady supply of fresh, organic produce. Cornices are another popular feature of traditional Kerala house designs. These decorative cornices are carved to be ornamental and adorn the grand entranceway, or even the edges of balconies. They can be made with a variety of materials, such as wood, stone and copper, and they add a unique traditional vibe to the home.9. Kerala Style Traditional Vegetable Garden Design | Decorative Cornices for Kerala Traditional House Design
Traditional Kerala House Design with Vastu-Compliant Features
Vastu shastra is a traditional Indian architectural science, and many traditional Kerala house designs feature Vastu-compliant features. The Vastu-shastra is designed to bring harmony between humans and nature, and it can greatly improve the energy levels of a home. Designers of traditional Kerala house designs use Vastu-shastra to create an environment free of negative energies and filled with positive, uplifting energies. In addition to the Vastu-shastra, natural stone cladding is widely used in traditional Kerala house designs. Natural stone adds a timeless, classic look to the home and is an attractive, yet functional feature. The stone is often carved into intricate patterns and motifs to create a unique look that will last for centuries.10. Traditional Kerala House Design with Vastu-Compliant Features | Natural Stone Cladding for the Kerala Traditional House Design
Natural Stone Cladding for the Kerala Traditional House Design
Understanding Traditional House Design in Kerala
Kerala houses have been praised for their unparalleled aesthetics and use of resources in tandem with the local climate and environment. The traditional house design in Kerala has been influenced and shaped over the years by dozens of different cultures. From ancient Dravidian 'Kottukachal' to colonial 'Tharavadu', the traditional house design in Kerala has witnessed a turbulent and vibrant history.
The primary characteristic of traditional house design in Kerala is the use of locally available materials such as laterite blocks, wood, mud, and river stones. Different colors, textures and materials are used to create unique and intricate designs. A typical Kerala house plan is based on the 'Nalukettu' style. It typically consists of a central courtyard, the 'Nalukettu', that is enclosed by several wings. Each wing may have various small rooms, open balconies, and terraces. Additionally, these wings will lead to other small courtyards or 'madam s' which typically feature various plants and trees.
Material Usage in Traditional Kerala Houses
The type and quality of materials used in a traditional Kerala house portray the respective family's financial and social standing. For instance, wealthy families usually make use of laterite bricks and carved wood, while middle class families would typically use mud and cheaper wood such as Jackfruit and Anjili.
The doors of traditional Kerala houses are usually made with 'Guriyal' wood, which is a type of sturdy, waterproof wood native to the region. It is usually hand-carved with intricate geometric patterns and different natural motifs. The posts used to hold up the roofs are often teakwood, which possess strong hallowing and rust resistance properties. The roofs are typically made with 'Anjili' wood, tiles, or freshly harvested Palmyra leaves. Traditional Kerala house design often features large sloped roofs and extended eaves in order to shield the house from the sun and monsoon rains.
The walls of traditional Kerala houses are typically made with mud and laterite blocks, which are less expensive and easier to transport than other materials. Terracotta tiles, both plain and patterned, are often used to cover the walls and floors.
Variations in Traditional House Design in Kerala
Although the foundations and fundamental elements of rural and urban houses in Kerala remain the same, the design of large urban houses are often more elaborate. This is due to the fact that these houses employ multiple
craftsmen and require larger materials such as timber. An urban house usually has larger windows and balconies, as well as more curved edges and subtle designs.
In contrast, the design of traditional rural houses are often simpler due to a limited budget of resources. However, despite their seeming simplicity, these houses often feature subtly ornate designs and patterns.
Traditional Kerala houses are typically designed to ensure the comfort and convenience of the residents. They also work together in harmony with the natural environment, often boasting a unique traditional aesthetic that sets them apart.
