: While traditional Nalukettu (courtyard homes) focused on communal living for large joint families, modern designs prioritize flexible, open-plan layouts that cater to nuclear families and private social gatherings.

: The study Malayali Architecture & Its Adaptation In a Modern Context explores how traditional materials like timber and laterite are being repurposed for high-end modern villas.

Yet the counter-argument from movement insiders is sharp: “Kerala’s current lifestyle is unsustainable. Our air conditioners worsen heat islands. Our multiplexes ignore local performance arts. Anti-architecture is not a prescription; it is a provocation.” And provocation, they claim, is the first step toward genuine newness.

No movement is without critique. Traditionalists argue that “anti-architecture” is elitist—only a handful of artists and architects can afford to live in a house without fans or fixed walls. Others worry that entertainment concepts like monsoon theatres are dangerous (electrical hazards, mosquitoes). Developers dismiss it as “paper architecture” in the pejorative sense—never to be built.

: A iconic traditional homestead featuring a central open courtyard () that provides natural ventilation and light.