How cool is red oxide!

You are building your dream home, and you want to put in the absolute best. Everything down to the last pillar and window pane has to be picture perfect. When it comes to flooring, you’re spoilt for choice. Terazzo, marble, glass, bamboo, tiles, there’s so much to choose from. And that’s where city-based architect Thirupurasundari Sevvel comes in.

The founder of Nam veedu Nam Oor Nam kadhai holds workshop every month, in a bid to educate people on the significance of red oxide flooring, which not only keeps your home healthy but also takes you back to a time when things were simpler and happier.

“When you choose oxide flooring, you choose a piece of heritage which is not a ready-made commercial material. It’s not like buying tiles and having them laid. The artisans mix the colour in front of you and you are witness to the entire floor coming alive. It’s an art form,” the architect tells DC.

“Oxide flooring comes in a variety of colours and was widely used in South India, Goa and even in Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu it can be found in abundance in Madurai, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Tiruchengode. Houses 150 years old will have lime plaster and oxide flooring,” adds Thirupurasundari, who has done extensive research on the relevance of yesteryear materials to modern times.

The workshop provided ample opportunity for participants to soak in the lives of the artisans. “We had four types of participants. Architecture students and people in the construction industry, those who just want to learn the process, a client who wants to have oxide flooring at home and those who want to understand the life of an artisan. People were allowed to take home whatever little pieces they made during the workshop”, says Thirupurasundari. Vouching for oxide flooring, she explains that it is “climatically adaptable and very comfortable for walking barefoot on. It keeps the room temperature down by 3-5 degrees. We use organic colours.”

Thirupurasundari Sevvel can be contacted at 9444253532