Blurring the lines between the indoors and the natural outdoors is not a new-found concept. However, there are smart new ways to seamlessly fuse a deliberate sense of naturality into your home that is also a nod to sustainable living. Living with nature is a luxury, and mindful living is an elegant testament to this, and this what Isprava also incorporates into each of its homes.
Here are some things you can do to make the best sustainable choices that deliver a natural wholesome feel to your home, from an aesthetic and a living perspective.
Optimise daylight
There is nothing as tranquil as sitting in a sun-kissed space of your own, so adopt a feature to maximise the amount of natural lighting you can acquire. Skylights, light wells and well-planned courtyards that blend into your home and offer a naturally well-light home look stunning, provide serenity and are an excellent way to conserve electricity and provide excellent vistas. Also remove objects that block windows and daylight to deliver that supreme feeling of openness within your own home, which is second to nothing.
Deliberate landscaping
Design your home with attention to shading devices, pergolas, adjacent buildings and other such aesthetic elements. Our country’s tropical weather demands carefully shaded corridors, terraces and sit-outs to make the most of the outdoors without surrendering to the scorching Indian sun or unpredictable showers. A manicured lawn with deliberately planned trees and herbs provides a well-organised vista that can double up to provide produce for your kitchen.
Upcycled Material Use
Employing recycled, upcycled or repurposed materials such as refurbished wooden panels and recycled glass tiles to decorate a home is an excellent means to support sustainable living. They can also help make stronger structures, and are more durable and efficient. For instance: the team at Isprava has employed local materials such as laterite stones in Goa to encourage weather adaptability. In rainy hillside hamlets, hand-cut stones are an excellent means to provide a sturdy edifice with a rustic feel while recycled cork, and wood employed as flooring deliver a natural feel to our soles and our souls.
Water Consumption
A growing concern everywhere, water management is an essential element of any innovative home. Avoiding the collection of water by employing drip and sprinkler irrigation systems into landscapes minimise water loss and the unnecessary/ unhygienic collection of water. An effective underground recharge well goes a long way in replenishing groundwater and delivering a seamless home that is bereft of leakages, seepage and other run-off damages.
Plants, plants and more plants
Maintaining the natural topography and vegetation of the location where you build your home doesn’t just minimise environmental impact, it delivers green settings that deliver beautiful views, encourage local fauna and an overall sense of peace that should be associated with a personal space. Plant drought tolerant plants, and make the most of native varieties that also minimise soil erosion. Building a structure around existing mature trees and planting new tree saplings promotes biodiversity – this is something we religiously follow for all our Isprava homes . Stock large air-purifying plants in natural earthen floor pots to liven up dead corners.