The global housing crisis affects over a billion people. Approximately 895 million individuals reside in slums across regions in Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa and Asia. This figure represents 85% of the homeless population worldwide (United Nations, 2023). In the specific case of India (South Asia), the issue lies in the lack of housing and optimal living conditions. According to Mahadevia et al. (2020), housing policy in India should be regulated through programs that address demographic demand and climate change mitigation to ensure coverage and thermal comfort. Despite the magnitude of the challenge, the study by Architecture BRIO, in collaboration with billionBricks and fUSE Studio, has developed a rural housing program called BillionBricks Homes / powerHYDE for the 200 million homeless people in India through a zero-carbon and self-financed housing model.
BillionBricks Homes: Design principles
Before delving into the design aspects, the conception of the BillionBricks Homes program is grounded in five phases that address how and where to create impact, project socialization, community participation, and housing construction. In this way, the program engages with the community for the families’ ownership of the houses, which is essential to ensure long-term energy efficiency. The following figure illustrates all stages of the program’s social transformation.
BillionBricks Homes is a sustainable housing model that incorporates five systems to mitigate environmental impact through design strategies.
| Sustainable system | Design strategy | |
| 1 | Solar power generation and sale to smart grids | Solar panels located on the shed roof |
| 2 | Rainwater harvesting for use in the household | Water collection channel through the shed roof |
| 3 | Seasonal food cultivation | Two ground-level planters located outside |
| 4 | Stack ventilation for improved indoor climate | Multipurpose ventilated hall through movable walls made with local materials. |
| 5 | Machinery-free, tension-based column construction | Prefabricated wall technology |
The incorporation of these strategies is synthesized in a basic architectural program that addresses basic needs for shelter, sanitation, privacy, and provisioning. BillionBricks Homes consists of a rectangular block permeated in the middle to generate ventilation in the housing and accommodate the multipurpose hall equipped with a prefabricated concrete countertop with a sink that serves as both kitchen and living room. This area of the house connects to the hallway that wraps around the block and serves as the circulation space of the house. The multipurpose hall is designed as an open space to generate a sense of spaciousness and connection with the exterior.
Additionally, BillionBricks Homes proposes a private area configured to serve as a bedroom. It is equipped with a closet and 2 windows for ventilation. The bathroom area was designed so that the activities of a conventional bathroom can be carried out independently and optimized for use by all members of the family. Finally, the cultivation area is designed at the back of the house, connecting with the countertop of the multipurpose hall. The following image illustrates the architectural floor plan of BillionBricks Homes.
BillionBricks Homes Architectural Floor Plan_ Architecture BRIO
Technical details: prefabricated components and local materials
The austerity of the technological components implemented in BillionBricks Homes is taken to another level. With only 30% of prefabricated elements, this housing proposal defines the structural system of the walls, foundations, and solar energy-generating roof. Meanwhile, the remaining 70% addresses carpentry issues using local materials for windows, doors, closets, and roof lattices. The alternative use of local materials is a resilient strategy for implementing BillionBricks Homes in different regions of the world according to climate needs and cultures.
Furthermore, the technology of the construction systems in BillionBricks Homes is configured to optimize the construction process through the manual assembly of prefabricated elements, without specialized equipment or heavy machinery. This approach reduces the time and costs associated with labor, maintenance, repairs, and dismantling. The following figure illustrates the all-3D model elements composing BillionBricks Homes: structures, materials and foundations.
The vision of BillionBricks Homes
The BillionBricks Homes housing program was conceived as a self-sufficient and independent model from the traditional housing development network. The sustainability impact of BillionBricks Homes / powerHYDE addresses the housing demand issue for 40 million households in rural areas in India and triples the energy demand through a housing solution capable of reducing carbon emissions to 0% generated during the construction phase by the sixth year of its lifecycle. And, it is expected that, 27 years after use, it will gradually offset up to 147 tons of CO2 emissions.
In addition to all the benefits offered by BillionBricks Homes / powerHYDE, the establishment of a financing program increases accessibility to housing. Moreover, generating energy from renewable sources, such as the sun also means generating income from selling the energy produced by the house and saving on traditional energy consumption services. Thanks to the practicality of the implemented systems and the flexibility of the architectural program, BillionBricks Homes is scalable and progressive, both horizontally and vertically, according to the needs of the occupants in time and space.
The powerHYDE proposal aims to transform rural housing in India through a comprehensive approach. In addition to addressing housing needs, it also offers thermal comfort, income generation from energy production, savings on energy and water consumption, reduction of construction and maintenance costs, and scalability in different regions of the world. Without a doubt, BillionBricks Homes transcends being just an alternative rural housing model; it is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for families and communities under precarious conditions.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/OCiOY6e_Nr8
References:
United Nations. (2023). Sustainable development goals report 2023: Special edition. New York: United Nations Publications.
Mahadevia, D., Pathak, M., Bhatia, N. and Patel, S. (2020). Climate change, heat waves and thermal comfort—reflections on housing policy in India. Environment and Urbanization ASIA, Volume 11(1), pp. 29-50.
Architecture BRIO (2019). BillionBricks Homes. [online]. Available at: https://www.architecturebrio.com/projects-item/billionbricks-homes-self-financing-home/ [Accessed 28 February 2024].
