Site Observation and Problem Identification
The design of the prototype was developed and elaborated on through various site observations from Sewage Basti (off-site housing) and Mount Milano (on-site housing). The observations led us to identify three major problems: Ventilation, Sanitation, and Construction Techniques. These recognized problems were further branched into the Unit level and Cluster level.
In Sewage Basti due to a lack of fenestrations and heat absorbing make-shift housing materials, a housing unit was made such that it had a bamboo framework and overlapped with a tarpaulin sheet which could be adjusted (opened or closed) as per their necessity. During the day when the heat is prevalent, they open up the skin of the unit, and during the night when they go to sleep and need privacy, they pull up the tarpaulin sheet and close the unit.
In Mount Milano again the lack of fenestrations was a major problem with a door being the only openable part of the unit. The residents of the housing units kept their doors open and spilled out because of the heat and also because of the activities such as washing utensils and clothes that happened in the alleys. The alleys also thus became a social space.
A conceptual map of problems, observations, and cycles led us to think about the prototype as a plug-in facade that could be fixed into an existing housing unit.
Various ideations and concepts were thought through quick sketches
The fenestrations of the skin were designed in a way that corresponded to the daily activity of the workers. The frame of the skin would be welded together and then infilled with various materials which could be easily dismantled.
Detailed drawings:
