04/02/2026
Site Update!
"Open Well"
Kerala’s relationship with water has traditionally been shaped by abundant monsoons, laterite soil, undulating terrain, and a naturally high groundwater table, giving rise to open wells as climate-responsive and sustainable systems. These wells made groundwater visible and seasonally noticeable, remaining closely connected to ponds, paddy fields, canals, and permeable landscapes that enabled slow and continuous recharge. Today, the gradual decline of the water table is driven not only by climatic changes but also by bore-well over-extraction, rapid urbanisation, land levelling, wetland loss, and soil sealing through concrete, all of which disrupt natural recharge cycles. Bore wells extract water from deep aquifers invisibly and aggressively, often causing shallow groundwater systems to dry up even in high-rainfall regions. This has resulted in Kerala’s paradox of floods during the monsoon and water scarcity in summer. Open wells, therefore, embody ecological intelligence, limits-based water use, and landscape-aware design. Reviving and reintegrating such systems is not an act of nostalgia, but a critical and forward-looking response to declining groundwater and a model for sustainable, place-specific water solutions.
Project Type: Residence
Location: Kannur, Kerala
Architect:
Stay tuned for more updates on this project!
If you are interested in creating a wonderful home for your family, do reach us at:
9030623568
[email protected]
