Housing Shortage in India : Closing the Gap through IT

Projectwell and Kieran Timberlake’s joint R&D efforts have yielded the design of a system, which will enable one to build houses (not apartments) faster, are sustainable and lightweight. This is being achieved largely by utilizing IT as a backbone, and industrializing the production of houses to give an end product which is acceptable to Indians. This is aimed at the Tier II-III and below towns where a large majority of the housing shortage comes from.



CURRENT SCENARIO



India’s rapid population growth, an increase of 181 million in the past decade, represents an estimated shortage of close to 19.4 million urban housing units in the middle and low income groups, and increased demand for water and energy utilities. With the growing availability of home financing mechanisms and increase in household incomes, a greater portion of India’s population is expected to shift from renting to owning homes.



Existing material supply chains and construction technologies do not currently meet India’s housing and utility demand. On-site building techniques prolong construction for a single-family unit up to twenty-four months. Water and energy supply is discontinuous, with some Tier II and Tier III cities claiming access to water anywhere between .5 and 11 hours per day. Consumptive and polluting natural gas generators are used when electricity is interrupted.



As India’s housing sector experiences rapid growth, it is critical that consumption factors not be allowed to climb to unsustainable levels. The high demand for newly constructed affordable homes, demand for continuous water and electricity supply, and resultant increase in natural resource consumption must be met with a climate specific housing option that promotes sustainable growth by conserving resources throughout all home ownership phases: material supply chain, construction, and operation.



INTRODUCING INDIA CONCEPT HOUSE:



India Concept House, proposed jointly by KieranTimberlake and Projectwell, addresses a new market, one that pairs a shortage of 19.4 million housing units with the need for sustainable growth. It is a fully developed housing solution poised for application on a mass scale. Its modular construction system leverages established precast concrete material technologies. The system is quick-to-build and reduces waste during construction. Home owners will conserve water and energy during inhabitation. The initial prototype of India Concept House will be built shortly and the material supply chain, construction techniques, resource conservation, and thermal comfort strategies will be tested and verified.



AFFORDABLE AND EXPANDABLE



India Concept House targets an affordable cost between 9,500 and 12,000 Rs/m2. It is offered in 32, 60, 82, and 98 m2 increments, with the modular construction system facilitating expansion up to 98 m2. A studio plan can be purchased and incrementally expanded to a 2BHK plan, according to the owners’ financial capability and changing needs over time.



SOLID



India Concept House uses precast concrete technology, which provides solid, durable, pre-finished surfaces for painting or tiling, and if desired, eliminates finishing entirely. The primary structural component, a lightweight concrete wall panel, is shaped to self-shade, and on the interior provides storage closets or utility integration points. Infill between the primary structural shapes may be a wall panel, a lightweight aluminum door, or a lightweight aluminum window. The primary roof component is a lightweight concrete plank. The secondary roof component, a precast concrete block, is used to assemble the ventilation system. Electrical and plumbing services are installed on-site, integrated into the slab-on-grade foundation system. In the future, electrical and plumbing services may be integrated into off-site factory fabricated wall panels, further streamlining the construction process.



QUICK-TO-BUILD



India Concept House reduces on-site construction time by 90%. Its modular construction system enables a 32 m2 home to be built in an estimated four weeks. A 98 m2 home may be built in six weeks. The components are dimensioned to be easily transported and physically manageable, eliminating the need for material handling equipment. On-site building methods minimize waste and increase worker safety. Future off-site methods will eliminate waste entirely to meet an ultimate zero waste goal.



SUSTAINABLE



India Concept House allows owners to manage thermal comfort, increase self-sufficiency, conserve water, and reduce energy usage by 50%. The house responds to a wide range of seasonal variation by minimizing solar gain through overhangs and shading during the summer, encourages air movement through a central ventilation core for cooling during the monsoon season, and minimizes air infiltration during the winter. Natural and solar-powered ventilation systems maintain interior temperatures between 21 to 29 degrees Celsius. To address scarcity and low quality of water, India Concept House provides a means of harvesting and recycling gray water to increase the availability of water to 24 hours per day. Hot water is supplied using a rooftop mounted solar hot water heater.



For more information log on to:

http://www.projectwell.com and http://www.projectwellblog.com



About Loknath Swain

Loknath Swain is a Mumbai based writer. He is associated with http://www.projectwell.com and http://www.projectwellblog.com