A Module for Visually Impaired

Selco Foundation, in its Built Environment programme, worked with communities at the bottom of the pyramid to provide them access to design and architecture that are usually available to just a few elites. Design Jatra, having worked in rural Maharashtra, has the local expertise regarding climate, materials, and aspirations of low-income communities. We worked along with Selco Foundation to design and build eight homes in Vangani, Karjat.

The community identified comprised underprivileged people who were widows or had physical disabilities such as visual impairment, and locomotor disability. We started off by examining the living conditions of the houses. Our research showed that many of the houses used mere tarpaulin sheets and tin sheets as roofs; these could not be retained in the new structure. People here had no capital to build homes, nor access to loans. We wanted to make the housing experience for this community much more personal. The aim was to enable their lives to be as independent as they wanted it to be, and for them to live in healthy, climate-friendly homes.

The plot sizes on which these homes lay, were very small, occupying around 300 square feet. Hence, the focus was on designing vertically, with the potential of building higher. The spaces had to be multi-functional. We integrated furniture within the built spaces. Since we believe that energy resilience is a strong factor in the development of the community, we made sure the houses were well-ventilated and well-lit, leading to lower reliance on the grid. The foundations were designed such that the structures could grow vertically, depending on what the families might need in the future. 

We had to create spaces that would provide the families security from anti-social activities. Moreover, since many of them were visually impaired, they are generally more prone to snake and scorpion bites. So we took special care to implement designs that would protect them from these dangers. Livelihood integration was also an important consideration while designing the houses. We plugged in a paan shop in one of them. 

Social and financial perspectives had to be taken into account in the design. Many of the older homes in the Karjat region had their roofs blown away during the last cyclone. Hence, climate and disaster resilience was also a strong factor while designing these homes.

The aesthetics are another highlight of these homes. These are some of the best-designed homes in this sector, with thoughtful details such as the design that ensures the floors of homes, which is where most of the activity happens, remain ventilated and well-lit. 

The intention of the project was not only to fit the bill of the end users, but also to demonstrate to the government and other NGOs working in public housing how homes in this sector must be designed. A lot of public housing schemes are in need of constant repairs and replacement due to natural disasters or other reasons, putting a huge financial burden on the families living in them. We also wanted to showcase how we could work with local panchayats and district administrations to implement a project effectively, and remove roadblocks such as access to drainage systems etc.