KANNUR: Thalassery Kiwis Club is noted for its welfare activities for the benefit of the downtrodden, and now it has come up with ‘organic homes’ for the homeless. The club will donate 20 such homes in Kannur district, and the first one is ready to be handed over. “The 540-sq.ft. house consisting of two bedrooms, a veranda, kitchen and a toilet was built on the idea of ‘small and beautiful’ in Kodiyeri village for Suresh Babu, a paralysed man,” said C.O.T. Naseer, the club’s chief organiser. The home, completed within a budget of Rs 5 lakh, conforms to Kerala's tropical climatic conditions.
Laterite stone and mud blocks were extensively used limiting the use of concrete. They say it’s not “typical free home” promoted by many neglecting the living ambience and aims at social service for the sake of it. “We are going to present this model for the low-budget families. It successfully meets the demand of a simple and convenient home,” says P.P. Vivek, chief architect of De Earth, Kozhikode, which designed it. “We used concrete in lintels only and the wood sparingly.” Revenue minister E. Chandrasekharan will hand over the keys to Mr Babu and his family at 11 am on Sunday.
