It was relatively early for a Sunday morning, but a group of architecture students and enthusiasts waiting outside the Kasturba Nagar MRTS station were raring to go. Armed with cameras, they were all set for the tour of large homes organised by the Chennai Architecture Foundation (CAF) in association with The Hindu . From Kalyani and Pramod Balakrishnan’s Neelankarai residence that used traditional concepts to create a modern Indian home to Maria and Ranjit Jacob’s charming home in Akkarai made of interlocking mud bricks, the participants were treated to vastly different styles of architecture in a short span of time. The Vial family house enthralled the visitors with its neat lines of concrete and glass. The tour ended at Suseela and Vergis Oomen’s farmhouse, Seascapes, where the outdoors was seamlessly integrated into the living area.
Hushed murmurs and gasps of wonder were heard, as those on the tour took in the varied techniques used in each house. Bradharshini S., an architecture student, said, “Each house was unique – from the exterior to the type of architecture used. We learnt a lot, especially from talking to architects Benny Kuriakose and Vergis Oomen.”
Apart from students, the tour had architects, construction businessmen, and ordinary building buffs. The architect members of CAF who accompanied the group described the technical details, making the tour informative and interesting.
