The Pot House

Concept note

I am Architect Tina Kedia. I have always been inclined towards sustainable architecture since my architecture college. That inclination led me to study and witness many examples of sustainable buildings in villages or mountains. Recently, I had the opportunity to design the interiors of my new apartment in Mumbai using sustainable techniques. That is when I realized the challenge it posed, from a lack of awareness to a bigger lack of examples.
Population in urban metropolitan cities like Mumbai generally inhabit in apartment-style houses, which considers sustainable design an anti-urban concept. My vision was to experiment and build sustainable and eco-friendly apartment responding to the urban and contemporary lifestyle. This blend of sustainability and urban apartments is missing at large. Catering to this apartment lifestyle of the people in the cities, this Pot House is designed and executed to demonstrate a fresh yet indigenous way of living for city people.

POT HOUSE – Matka house

Interior design of an Eco-apartment in Mumbai, India

Matka house is a sustainably designed and built abode in the suburbs of Mumbai, for my family. Sustainable interiors being an unconventional option in the market, was difficult a choice for the family to make. Trusting my conviction, our eco-home started taking shape, featuring the fusion of traditional materials with contemporary design. This project celebrates the spirit of art and artisans by using handcrafted skills and adopting hand-painted murals to decorate the spaces.
Material selection was the most critical task as the chosen natural materials needed to suit the urban context and lifestyle. The key material used in all the spaces majorly is terracotta. Terracotta tiles are one of the oldest forms of flooring and are good at maintaining indoor temperature. My concept behind designing spaces was to give the user a holistic experience of visual appeal, physical comfort, and psychological calm. In this eco-home, terracotta tiles are used for the flooring, giving it the desired rustic and earthy vibe and responding to Mumbai’s scorching summer heat.
Hand-carved stone washbasins are used in bathrooms made by local stone masons. The idea was to replace conventional materials with natural materials to reduce carbon consumption, wherever possible. The entrance of the home opens up into a floor-to-ceiling terracotta Jali wall directing the users towards the living area, while also partially displaying the dining area in the rear. The living area portrays a well-balanced composition of space using reclaimed teakwood furniture with elementary design, built skilfully by local carpenters. The original kitchen wall was brought down to allow natural light to spill into the dining area while making it more spacious. The access for the passage is merged with the kitchen to design an extended seating by the kitchen to sit and relax. The access overlooks a pleasant green corner with a hand-carved and hand-painted stone basin surrounded by natural greens over the bamboo screen.
The art murals depicted reflect the client’s heritage, Rajasthani roots, and present-day yogic lifestyle, all painted by me, adding a personal touch to the dwelling. The walls and floors are humble documentation of Rajasthani folk art-Mandana (a dying art form), perfectly blending with the red terracotta background as they were traditionally painted on red mud walls with lime. These murals are symbolic portrayals of the family’s culture. The bedroom's walls reflect murals of yoga asanas and meditation creating the desired serene ambience for the family. I wanted to create a feeling of sense of belonging for the family beyond their ownership of the house for which the paintings and cross-stitch work done by my mother and sister in their growing age are used as artworks.
To beat the glare of Mumbai’s tropical sun, locally handcrafted bamboo blinds are used for the openings as a secondary shading device, adding to the rustic palette of the house. Naturally dyed and traditionally block-printed upholstery and curtains are selected as a screen between the inside and the outside. The clients enjoy hosting guests for which the need for extra seatings is fulfilled by designing baithak seats in all the rooms. The terracotta used on the terrace backdrop wall creates a magical effect with the combination of folk-art murals and a hand-painted wooden swing surrounded by greenery, bathing in golden sunlight.
The former doubtful clients now adore this natural habitat which continuously keeps them connected with nature and peace. Matka house is the name given by my mother after feeling the coolness and tranquillity in her new home.