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This web site is about our low-cost home built mostly using reused construction material and a bunch of ‘reduce’ ideas, and rules that our family uses to live a (relatively) low-carbon life.
Our home was featured in the home interiors magazine, Livingetc. Click here to see the article.
A low-carbon roof over your head
Our house is low-carbon, looks stunning, has lots of ‘Reuse’ and ‘Reduce’ , and is cheap. It cost 50 % of what a regular house would have cost to build. See ‘Our kachra house’ for :
– Ideas that we used.
– Sources for designs and reused building material.
Reducing energy consumption in your day-to-day life
We can reduce our carbon footprint through simple and small changes in our daily activities. See ‘Living an earth-friendly life’ for :
– Things you can do to reduce your energy consumption.
– Things that you can do to reduce using chemicals harmful to the environment.
A quickie guide to ‘carbon footprint’ and other jargon
See ‘What the hell is low-carbon?’ for :
– Explanations on common terms.
– Some basic calculations to determine your carbon footprint
If you have any new ideas
You are welcome to add them as replies. I’ll pick out the good ones and add them to my list.
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Me
Who am I ?
Mechanical engineer, foodie, environment nut, animal lover, live in Bangalore.
Identifying features : Bald head, sexy legs caused by cycling, paunch (that keeps going up and down based on its mood, but is one friend I can depend upon to be with me till the day I die).
My vehicle is a bicycle, and I also use public transport - buses and autos.
Living a low-carbon life 
wonderful. We r also planning to build one such house in our farm at Madanapalli (A.P.).My daughter, Divya Ravindranath is taking advices from people for the same.
Hi. We’ve met before, at an ESG event. Divya is an old friend.
Hello Sir,
Its an very good attempt to share low carbon ideas through blogging. Even I am following Sustainable life styles, as an attempt towards Greener planet.
And following video shows us one idea of procuring natural Drinking water(would be much better than mineral water)
I am from Pavagada so I know the advantage of this method.
Saw the video. That makes sense, and I’ve been thinking of putting in a charcoal filer in my home’s rain water system too.
Hello sir,
It’s really amazing & very interesting.. Salutes ur ideas & spirit to make it real…
I really want to have a look and want to feel it ..
I amn’t from Bangalore but fortunately i am here for few days more & staying very near to sadashivnagar @IISc..Pleasse reply asap..
It”s really amazing & vert interesting… Hats off ur ideas & spirit to make Katada House.
Thank you.
Hi, we really like your ideas and your house. We are staying in Delhi – do you have any idea of similar projects/like-minded people in Delhi who could advise on where to find second hand stuff? Thank you! Anna & Narendra
I can ask around and see if any Delhi-wallahs here know about sources.
Where and how can one ge tin touch with you Sir?
dasarathigv@gmail.com.
Who was your architect?? Ive been looking for someone over a year
Architect contact details on this page : https://lowcarbonlife.in/about/our-kachra-home/our-home-what-we-got-where/
Hi I’m dhruva
I just thought of a great idea I think mite help in reducing carbon footprint
the most worrying problem in Bangalore is its ever-growing traffic and pollution
I think cycles are a great way to reduce traffic and GHG emissions
but the main reason not every one cycles to work, schools etc. is that they think they cant cycle that much(though most can)
also cycles cant be used for very long distances
why not put a electric induction motor on the rear of the bike, which acts as a driving motor and a electric generator
the electric energy is produced when the person pedals.
the wheels rotate which is connected to a gear
the gear drives a chain which rotates the motor
the motor produces electricity which is saved in a battery
the pressing a switch, the battery starts to give out electricity
the motor starts turning and the chains drive the wheel
and the cycle goes ahead without having to pedal
when the battery gets discharged, the person would have to pedal again which will charge the battery and this can go on and on
this will give no emissions, and cost efficient as no fuel is used
it might just give u a bigger appetite(LOL)
only problem is that I don’t have resources
im only 14 after all !!!!!
this is my email id
dhruva_sambrani@yahoo.com
Dhruva, thanks for the post. That’s a nice idea. The battery could be even charged when you apply the brakes – it’s called a regenerativce braking system. I’ve actually been seeing a few electric bicycles around, but I think they’re Chinese made. You could actually write to some Indian bicycle manufacturers like TI cycles and Hero, sugggest this. And don’t let the fact that you’re hold you back. A person with sense will listen to a good idea irrespective of who it comes from.
Hi Das, Came across your name reading a story in Yourstory.com. Find that work you are doing is so inspirational. Would like to connect with you to request you to come and speak at our Rotary Club. We meet on Fridays at Diamond District, Old Airport Road. Name is Sunil Arora and I am on skarora1@gmail.com and phone is 9901966740. Keep spreading the good work!
Hi Sunil.
I’ll email you my contact details.
Regards,
Das
Please share your contact details. Need your advice on installing solar cells on the terrace of my house. I have got a proposal from a firm and I want you to advice me if the same makes sense.
HI Mr Das
This is fantastic, very creative. Since I am embarking on constructing a house myself, meeting you will help me greatly. Could I meet you in person and also get a firsthand tour of your house, it would help me immensely.
Thank You
Andrew Robert
Hello Sir,
Can you please share your contact details ? I am planning on renovating my flat.
Hi.
Have emailed you my contact details.
Hello Sir,
Just pounced on this blog while “Looking to make my home self sustainable” and man … whattt a work !! Would definately want to meet up and see things in person, only if its not a trouble. Please share your contact details.
Hi.
Sorry, read your comment just now – some malfunction in the blog’s comment area.
My email ID is dasarathigv@gmail.com.
hi,
Im planning on redoing my house, need some some inputs from you on the sourcing part. Can you share your contact details.
Hi. Sorry, your comment got kind of lost and I read it just now.
My email ID is dasarathigv@gmail.com.
ur inspirational das.is it possible to visit your home as i am planning to build a house soon,Btw we have met very briefly because of our daughters
Hi Mr Dasarathi,
I am Jyoti Mehra, Curator at Visvesvaraya Museum, Bangalore. I came across your blog while searching for antique furniture and found it very relevent in the present age. I would request you to please share your views on y
our green innitiative with our student members and their parents through an interactive session for the students. Pl share your contact details.
Hi.
I’ll email you my contact details.
Helloo sir i want to build a house in uttarakhand
Been looking for ideas to build a sustainable home, in a place, that chose us! Yours is like a dream come true for me! I am quite nutty too and my sojourns into the dark deep alleys of chor bazaar in Mumbai or in Ahmedabad have my folks smirk at me..nevertheless. Kudos to your vision and actioning it! Will love to get in touch for my own sustainable dream house with a square foot garden around, as I am a home gardener, all my food comes from what I grow. Farm to kitchen and viceversa. Thank you for treading lightly on this Planet!!
Hello Lima.
Thanks for the nice words. I’ll email you my contact details.
Will be glad to help with any ideas, and would love to get some gyan on the kitchen garden from you once I start one.
Hello sir,
I am Pratiksha, an amateur architect in bangalore.I went through the blog and found it very interesting. I am not sure if I missed portions of the blog that spoke of what the walls are made up of. I only understood that the house was built on an already existing foundation. May I know what the walls are made up of and if they are also environment-friendly?
Thanks in advance,
Pratiksha
Hi.
See ‘Walls’ in this page: https://lowcarbonlife.in/about/our-kachra-home/our-home/
Namaskara,
I read article about your home in Kannada new paper “Prajavani”. Heart fully congratulate you for a very thought full concept, much needed. I was looking for your number to contact you and google did guide me to reach you. I am in Bangalore and renovating my house. Would like to contact you to understand more about Kachara Mane. My email suneethi_sagar@yahoo.co.in
Thanks in advance
Suneethi
I am planning to build a house in scrap material
Wonderful ! Please let me know if I can be of any help in giving you ideas or sources.
Hey,
I run a school for children with autism and have requirement to make shelves. Could you please tell me where I can source the following for cheap –
1. Wood to make shelves in varied spaces to store varied materials, books papers?
2. Wood for soft boards and also soft board materials
3. Labour who can do this in a cost effective manner.
Hi.
I’ll email you some details and my contact info.
Amazing home … Am from sagar Karnataka. I want to build a house like this . am very impressed. I want to meet you and take some suggestions from u …
I am impressed by your house and of course the principles
I too plan to build one such but don’t have the link to the right kind of architects can u please suggest or guide the way
I belong to Nagpur in Maharashtra with summer temperatures going 46 to 47 c
Please help
Hi Anjalee.
I’m sure searching the web will get you some good architects.
I just searched for ‘eco friendly architect’ and got this:
http://www.mgsarchitecture.in/projects/1224-sudha-sukesh-gandhi-s-farmhouse-nagpur.html
I’m of course willing to give you any ideas that I can.
Regards,
Das
Email: dasarathigv@gmail.com