Build For Billion

“Home is not a place; it is a feeling!”

The design attempt is intent to showcase the redefined Affordable, ie affordable doesn’t mean low cost. Rather it is optimization of cost and a balance between creating a habitat that one feels proud of with the sustainability factor (both in terms of price and lifecycle).

We propose a maintenance free sustainable housing that resonates with the Ethos of the people residing in it. The concept revolves around the fact that the housing is designed for the people who are the backbone of the city infrastructure from micro to macro level. And it’s derived that the owners are the natives of rural areas who migrated to cities in search of livelihood, and could not manage a ‘clean and green’ house of their own. This one project in itself is a village housing 1000 families.

“It’s a home away from home- an urban dwelling with a rural personality”

SPACES

The character delivered to the design is hereby to satisfy this very concept. The spaces revolve around living/collaboration/community spaces, be it the cluster or the individual dwellings, thereby creating a community that not just lives together but celebrates together.

• The buildings are massed in ascending pattern creating dynamic skyline and terraces at every floor for people to come out and sleep under stars. Visual
• Landscape gives an opportunity to add to the apartments by giving open interaction areas, which can be used for festivals, weddings etc catering to the socio-economic aspect of the proposal.
• Local trees are proposed which consume less water and give sturdy growth. Fruit and fragrant flower orchards bring in birds and butterflies.
• Typical floor plan is made such that every flat gets direct ventilation. Common walls are reduced and pockets are created for air movement. This eliminates the quintessential shafts seen in all housing projects. The idea is to bring out the area wasted in shafts, which is neglected over time and becomes untidy dumping holes. All windows open outwards to fresh air.
• The designed spaces evolved out of basic principles of climatology with due respect to sun path diagram blended with Vastu as the Indian Solar Science. This keeps the living areas cool and allows for air-movement within the house.
• The semi duplex spaces are derived from quaint Parisian apartments. A loft for kids adds to the required usable space and removes the typical urban matchbox proportions and gives a brighter feel to rest of the house. This also gives opportunity to add ventilators for movement of hot air (Venturi Effect) in hot and dry climate.

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

• The skeletal structure is framed RCC. It maintains internal flexibility and good construction phasing.
• The walls are made of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete AAC blocks (Green building material), which require no curing and special adhesives and mortars are available for fixing and plaster. They are light in weight with high insulation properties. This results in saving time and material used in plaster and mortar.
• The opening sizes satisfy not only light ventilation and aesthetic needs but take care of the micro cost savings ie glass sizes, section lengths and painting costs.
• The lintels and beams are designed using local stone and concrete The door frames are eliminated by creating pivoted doors in stone jambs (painting, sagging, maintenance all eliminated for the future)
• Locally available marble dust is used to create low-cost terrazzo floors.

CLIMATOLOGY AND GREEN BUILDING ASPECT

• The building blocks on site are placed such that North wind and light gets a way to move in and high South Buildings guard the open spaces. The massing in East allows Sun in and West shades the playgrounds.
• Provision of Solar panels, Bio Sewerage Treatment Plant, Energy Metering is done with Rain Water Harvesting.
• Materials like AAC blocks, locally available Terrazzo floor, regulated high efficient fixtures water-closet, faucets & showers are proposed to reduce carbon footprint and maintain minimal running costs.
• Soil Erosion is controlled by planting draught tolerant Local trees which thrive well and consume less water.
• Green Guidelines pertaining to waste management, segregation, energy-efficiency are proposed.