OPPURTUNITIES THAT LIES AHEAD AFTER

KERALA FLOODS
-AMPHIBIOUS
ARC 407 ARCHITECTURE

SUBMITTED BY RAGAMURALI P BIMAL

WHY ?

ONE OF THE WORST FLOOD IN OVER A CENTURY

• Kerala initial losses estimating 20,000 crores is
beyond its capacity to endure and overcome

• PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Fig 1 : The tragic aftermath of Kerala :source- Statista

AIM
• The main aim of the study is understanding the
feasibility of constructing an amphibious flood resilient
housing environment for low income group in Kerala

WHY LOW INCOME GROUP?

• Because they were affected the most
EXISTING RESILIENT STRUCTURES

Fig 3 : statically elevated and piled structures in Kerala :source- TOI

In the past Kerala has tried various flood resilient solutions that they
believed could prevent from affecting them during hard conditions but
nothing worked out.

• STATICALLY ELEVATED STRUCTURES

• PILE DWELLINGS
• CONTOURED STRUCTURES

Fig 4 amphibious housing in Netherlands :source- TOI

METHODOLOGY

Understanding the
Primary stage need of the study

Acquiring technical
and constructional Relation with the
Secondary stage
techniques through case studies
case studies

Obtaining the basic

guidelines through
Foreign context-
Final stageAsian context
beginning cost
–low the study for the
construction of
amphibious
architecture
 ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

al
Utilizes municip al
Fig 5 : amphibian techniques :source- Arch daily
tr ic
pipes and elec
connect ion s.

Mooring posts

s
Height limitation e
th
are restricted to
Capable of hig
h- mooring post
density houses height.

Fig 6 : amphibian techniques :source- Arch daily

CASE STUDY- MASSBOMMEL, NETHERLANDS.

THE FOUNDATION

CONSTRUCTION
Fig 7 : Prefabrication of concrete hull on site :source-

SERVICES

FLOOD CONDITION

Fig 8 :amphibious structure dock and mooring pole

Fig 10 : Massbommel housing: source- Reuters

Fig 9 : service linings: source- Reuters
BANGLADESH –THE LIFT HOUSE

SERVICE SPINE BRICK & REINFORCED CONCRETE

• Kitchen, bathroom, composting toilet storage tank and two
types of water cisterns are located in this structure
Fig 11 :Lift house

RAINWATER harvesting and recycling

CISTERN rainwater
• The two water cisterns combined have a capacity
• of 48,000 liter which will be adequate for 10 residents
throughout the dry season.

SANITATION onsite composting system

• The composting latrines divert urine and deposits into the
Fig 12 :Basic plan
soil of the garden through an underground pipe where it can
be used as a fertilizer.

Fig 13 :Foundations
HOW BANGLADESH HOUSING SUITABLE FOR KERALA
Advantages: Low cost materials are used
to achieve low income structure.

The monsoon Alluvium soil Bamboo was

Soil typology

Material availability
Climatic reasons
months in which the main
Kerala and includes material an
Bangladesh calcareous Kerala is rich
are similar and non- in cultivation
obtain calcareous
rainfall alluvial soils.
around 1600-
2000 mm of
rain annually
FINDINGS FROM CASE STUDIES
• the live and dead loads of home must be less than the total
volume of water
Capability of
floating • . Light weight building materials

• Constructing deeper foundations will help in transferring the

loads into deeper layer of earth
Foundation • light weight structure foundations

• depth is calculated by understanding the live and dead load of

Buoyant
foundation the entire structure.
height
calculation

• water proof material

• in promoting insulation and other cooling and heating
Structure
type techniques to develop it as a sustainable structure

• Modern idea of burying all the utilities in not possible in this

scenario.
Utility
access • pipelines must be flexible
CONCLUSION
• Research paper proved the stability and workability of
amphibious housing through various existing examples.

• Since the scope of the paper is revolving around low

income people, the collected data are focused on
providing the best low cost and self-sustainable
techniques of the amphibious structure

• These studies also helped in crafting required guidelines

for designing an amphibious structure. The dissertation
has proved following these guidelines and working out
the material and functional aspect would provide
desirable result in the state.

So why fight floodwater when you can float on

it?
REFERENCE
on, P., Veerbeek, W., & Zevenbergen, C. (2016). Amphibious Architecture and Design : A Catalyst

of Opportunistic Adaptation ? - Case Study Bangkok, 216(October 2015), 470–480.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.12.063

Pol, J. Van Der. (2012). Flood proof architecture, 167–168.

Rai, A. (2018). Explained : Why Are Monsoons Flooding Homes in Kerala ? The Ghost of Madhav

Gadgil Committee Report Haunts Kerala, 1–12.

Sandhya, K., & No, R. E. G. (2016). AMPHIBIOUS ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA Submitted by Da

Vinci School of Design and Architecture Certified that this dissertation report “ AMPHIBIOUS

ARCHITETURE IN, (April).

THANK YOU