Tropical Tiny House

Volume Zero - Tiny House Competition 2020

The Challenge

How can we design prefabricated sustainable low-cost tiny houses for people wanting to leave the Indian megacities, which are facing the threat of becoming unlivable due to climate change and heat stress? How can we enable people from the lower middle class to migrate to rural areas, without taking huge existential risks?

The Solution & Response to the tropical climate

A tiny house made of bamboo plywood panels on a light metal frame, with thatch insulation. A ventilated double roof as a heat shield for the midday sun and small insulated east and west facades facing the morning and evening sun. Large mesh openings on the long facades, and openings at the ceiling edges ensure for maximum cross ventilation. The house has no mezzanine to stay close to the cooler floor level and allow ceiling fans. The roof parts can be folded down for easy transport and protection from extreme weather.

The Space

The house can accommodate a single, a couple, or a family with one or two young children. It has a bedroom with a work desk, a living/dining area with two bunk beds, and a sliding door for privacy. The house has ample storage space to meet Indian family standards. The shaded porch connects the inside and outside as an intermediary. The house can be transported with a standard trailer and shifted to another site with a pickup truck.

The Site

The house is located in Idiyanchavadi village in Tamil Nadu, where old vernacular huts are being replaced by permanent houses. The small building footprint fits the local plot sizes.