A school dropout comes up with a movable house

Sahul Hameed says rotating houses could be built using the same technology.

For Daily:30/08/16:Ramanathapuram:View of moving house built by Mr M Sahul Hameed at Melapudukkudi near Ramanathapuram.Photo:L_Balachandar [with report]

M. Sahul Hameed (65) drew the ire of his family and mocked at by many as mentally imbalanced, but he stood steadfast in giving shape to his innovation, a ‘moving type house’, using ‘raft foundation’ technology.

A class V dropout, Mr. Hameed of Melapudukkudi near Thirupullani worked in a construction company in Saudi Arabia for more than two decades when he learnt making of pre-fabricated structures and various foundation technologies for building houses.

When he returned home a few years ago, he wanted to build a house, using ‘solid footing’ (raft foundation) technology, but faced stiff resistance from the family, relatives and friends. Many said the house would come a cropper, but he went ahead with the Rs. 25-lakh project.

Now the 1,080 sq ft ground plus first floor house at Melapuduvakkudi stood testimony to his steadfastness. Six years ago, when he laid the 1000 and odd sq ft concrete slab with 90 cm thickness and raised pillars on it for the home’s main living, villagers pitied him for wasting the resources.

“But I proved them wrong,” says Mr. Hameed in an informal interaction with The Hindu on Tuesday. His wife and five sons – three of them engineering graduates – raised objections, but could not stop him.

“We were sceptical of the stability of the structure, but my husband said it would be strong, and it is strong,” his wife Sarigathul Begam says. He then proposed to build another house nearby, using the same technology, with the full consent of his family.

The house with three bedrooms in the ground floor and two on the first floor could be moved using iron rollers underneath the slab, says Mr. Hameed. He, however, did not build the house with an intention to move it. “I wanted to do something new and built the moving house,” he adds.

The technology is suited for sandy stretches and he is willing to share his expertise with interested people. Mr. Hameed has also addressed civil engineering students of leading engineering colleges in the district on his innovative technology.

Engineers from Madurai, Devakottai, Rameswaram and other places visited his house and applauded his innovation, he says. Using the similar technology, rotating houses could also be built but “being a school dropout, my ideas will not sell,” he says.