The Madras Terrace Roof

The Madras terrace roofing is a traditional roof building technique using handmade ‘achikal’ brick, wood and lime plaster. The word ‘achi’ regionally means ‘half’ therefore this locally produced ‘achikal’ brick is essentially a half brick, in terms of thickness.

The system is commonly used for small spans, where wooden beams are laid at intervals of less than 45cm. The next layer consists of masonry laid on edge, across in a diagonal fashion, held together with lime plaster. The design is an interpretation of basic traditional architectural patterns to suit modern needs, while searching for a ‘timeless’ architecture which is beyond the ‘new’ and ‘inventive’.

Video Credits: INTACH Pondicherry Chapter