Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Keralites going for cool option state trends

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: About a decade ago, builders never asked you whether you wished to have an air-conditioner in your house. Those were times when an air-conditioner was not an option for most. But not so today. A question that every builder asks you nowadays is whether you need one. Even those who do not have any immediate plan of installing an air-conditioner would finally agree to ‘provisions’ being made for a future air-conditioner. Just in case…

Earlier, the high cost of air-conditioning units and rising electricity bills had made most people shy away from installing them. Those constructing houses also generally preferred homes with good ventilation.

However, with the increase in purchasing power and higher incidence of allergic ailments, homemakers are on the lookout for more comfort and safety. That the markets are flooded with innovative, imported and sleek air-conditioners has also helped.

Gone are the days of the bulky air-conditioners that cooled rooms by little, but created a racket wherever they were installed. Today’s air conditioners are aesthetically appealing and occupy minimal space, making them attractive to the buyers.

Manoj Kini, faculty member, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, says the increased use of air-conditioning in buildings has evolved from an introvert planning concept based on creating luxurious living standards with scant regard for the environment. “What began as a solution for exceptional situations like working underground or in desert conditions has gradually crept into conventional building design all over the world. In Kerala, the change was influenced to a large extent by the expatriate population in the Gulf where buildings are designed to accommodate the need for air-conditioning. The tourism and building boom are other factors that have fanned the trend,” he says.

Mr. Kini feels that there is need for an alternative approach to minimise the environmental hazards caused by the indiscriminate use of air-conditioning in buildings. “Apart from greenhouse emissions, there is also the problem of disposing of residual gases like CFC used in AC units”, he points out. But others like architect Saiju Mohammed believe that the increasing popularity of air-conditioning in Kerala is driven by several factors like the changes in the micro-climate, the affordability of air-conditioners and the need for enhanced comfort levels at the workplace.

“While the increase in vehicular emissions, loss of green cover in urban areas and atmospheric changes could have led to climatic changes, the other factors are largely lifestyle-induced. The need to maintain sensitive equipment like computers in a controlled temperature is yet another reason”, Mr. Mohammed says and adds,

“The glass-and-steel architecture that today defines the urban environment has of late come in for a lot of unfair criticism. One has to remember that structural glazing evolved out of the need to provide maximum insulation from external heat so that the air-conditioning units can work at peak efficiency for the better part of the day.”

Mr. Mohammed feels that falling back on traditional building concepts can never offer an alternative solution to air-conditioning. “Though traditional architecture has its merits, it cannot be applied to any environment,” he asserts.

Differing with this view, Mr. Kini says that effective land-use management, traditional architectural concepts, landscaping and use of locally available materials like mud and timber could help reverse the trend to some extent.

“Traditional design was based on sound scientific principles. For example, the gables found on the roof of old buildings in Kerala demonstrate the application of the ‘Venturi Effect’ to expel rising hot air and draw in cool air.

Architect K.P. Thompson in Kochi says that the rising demand for air-conditioning in houses is both on account of the affluence and craving for higher comfort levels. Since people can afford air-conditioning, they factor in an AC environment into their work or home space. Another important influence is the designs that try to accommodate more people in less space.

Cost of space is on the rise and accommodating more people in less space becomes a key factor.

But then, this can bring in discomfort like less of air movement which is largely overcome through air-conditioning, he says. Dust, he points out, is another important element that is forcing people to go in for air-conditioning.

More built up area and movement of vehicles involve higher dust levels in the air which is overcome through air-conditioning. What is the best way to keep the dust and heat out? Cool, go for an air-conditioner!

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