“We envision a world where everyone can own a dignified home,” is a vision of innovation studio Billion Bricks studio founded by Anurag Srivastava and Prasoon Kumar based in Singapore. It is to provide the homeless a better place to live by integrating design, technology and commerce which create a new framework for sustainable living for anyone to be homeowners in diverse geographic regions in any weather condition.

Two of many sustainable housing projects by BillionBricks have given millions of homeless, a place to be called home – they are – weatherHYDE and powerHYDE.

WeatherHYDE is the first product of BillionBricks and the world’s first all-weather, life-saving and standalone shelter for the homeless and vulnerable to protect them from weather deaths ehich was praised by millions. It has received support from over 10,000 donors, volunteers, well-wishers and garnered over 100 million media impressions worldwide. It has won many international awards including the 2018 Singapore President’s Design Award. Besides India, it has also been used in North America, Philippines, and many more especially for refugees. 

The product is light weight and compact, ideal for urban settings and easy deployment. Its simple, durable design allows for tool-less setup in under 15 minutes and long-lasting use of over 2 years. Its inception was triggered by the tragic 2013 India riots, where 30 displaced children died from hypothermia.

UPDATE: weatherHYDE will soon separate with BrillionBricks. After four years of impact, weatherHYDE is looking for a new home that will bring it to its next level. Click HERE for more information. 

PowerHYDE is another project of BrillionBricks, the world’s first carbon positive home for the homeless. Its solar roof is designed to produce enough energy to not only power the home, but to sell extra energy to finance the house. In 2017 in India, it has been built under program called ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana‘ to build 40 million new homes for its rural homeless population in next 5 years.

The recent powerHYDE housing program is in Tacloban, the Phillipines. Together with GYP Properties, BillionBricks launched new project to end homelessness under the ‘Gift of Home’ programme that is still in development since late 2019, where for every home sold, one all season life-saving shelter weatherHYDE will be donated to a family in need.

The studio, which its mission is aligned with 13 of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals – offers new solutions for the global housing crisis and to be a pioneer in the development of a revolutionary self-financing solar home solution by combining housing communities with renewable energy into a financially viable business proposition.

Billion Bricks is developing sustainable solar housing technologies to optimise quality, speed and scale. The project is completed with:…
– Propriety Technology – we have developed building technologies like an integrated solar roofing system and simple prefabrication structures that can be quickly assembled anywhere in the world.
– Smart Mass Manufacturing – our homes are constructed using a combination of 30% pre-fabricated and 70% localised elements. In using robotics and precision engineering to mass manufacture pre-fabricated elements, we drive quality and efficiency, while reducing costs and eliminating inefficient, wasteful, and laborious construction.
– Integrated Home Services – our electricity supply, water and waste management have been separated and standardised into different plug and play units. This eliminates the need for additional labour, reduces dependencies on public utilities and creates optimal conditions for resilience.  
– Smart Communities – future communities will be connected through pre-integrated smart technologies, which will facilitate systems management and customer care services. Residents will gain access to a personalised app with offerings like job opportunities and banking facilities to enhance their quality of life.

“In spite of all the progress we have made as a humanity, more than one billion people in the world are still without a home; a number set to double by 2030. Housing is a human right and a crucial step in emerging from poverty, so we set out to make a dent in the system,” – Billion Bricks team.

 

 

For more information about Billion Bricks: Website www.billionbricks.org – Facebook BillionBricks – Twitter @billionbricks  – YouTube BillionBricks – LinkedIn BillionBricks – Instagram @billionbricks 

Source: WeatherHYDE Stories — BillionBricks Official Website — * DESIGN OF THE YEAR 2018 WEATHERHYDE — The Singapore company tackling homelessness by building solar homes — BILLIONBRICKS AND GYP PROPERTIES LAUNCH NEW PROGRAMME THAT ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS.