I started building my home on April 18, 2005 which was completed on April 18, 2006. Habitat Technology Group were my architects and builders. Habitat were chosen as my preferred architects owing to my perfect agreement with their philosophy of shelter, eco-friendly technologies, use of local materials like country burnt red bricks, terracotta floor tiles, etc., minimal use of cement and other materials that are unsuitable for the tropical climate owing to their emission of heat. Indeed, even the lampshades I used were made up of terracotta and hand-made paper. Habitat have taken much care about air-flow regulation and proper lighting so that lights could be switched off during day time unlike other modern houses here.
Floors are tiled with terracotta tiles which are very cheap and locally available. Most of inner walls are plastered with a mix of mud, molten tar and straw bits which has a finely textured surface, absorbs a bit of extra glaring light and above all is cool and natural. Outer walls are not at all plastered, but the bricks are pointed with cement mortar on all edges. Just as the adoption of free/open source software for my personal and professional computing, I would passionately advocate for the alternate ways of home building instead of making concrete blocks that are totally unsuitable for this geographic location and climatic conditions.
Here are a few pictures which will tell you how my home looks like. I would cordially invite you to drop in if at all you happen to pass through Trivandrum.