• YEAR : 2019
  • LOCATION : Rural India
  • CATEGORY : Urban

powerHYDE

BillionBricks Homes / powerHYDE is the world’s first carbon negative, self financing home for the homeless. Designed for the 200 million rural homeless in India, powerHYDE ensures that when these homes are built, they do not add negatively to the environment. Therefore they do not become a burden for other infrastructure provisions such as electricity, water and waste.

Each powerHYDE produces four times the amount of energy it needs for itself. A community of powerHYDE’s sells the additional energy to neighbouring industries and powers other communal facilities. This generates additional income for the inhabitants. A cluster of 75 powerHYDE homes is a mini power plant generating 1 MW of energy.

‘PowerHYDE’ combines through one solution:

1. the enormous demand for housing (40 million rural homes in India)

2. the increasing need of sustainable energy (300%) and

3. a sustainable financial model.

 

Financing

The daunting numbers and lack of financing have paralysed construction of homes for the poor. PowerHYDE is a self financing home conceived as a product. It is a product that produces more energy than its own usage and generates its own income. Since scaleability is essential for housing solutions, the house is designed in such a way that it is easy to assemble. Additionally the design is adaptable to different cultural, regional and climatic conditions.

PowerHYDE is modular. In order to meet the demand of growing families, the structural system of the house allows vertical and/or horizontal expansion. Moreover, passive and active sustainability measures meet the needs of fossil free energy production and zero impact water re-use and circulair waste treatment.

Project Data

Project Name

powerHYDE

Year

2019

Themes

Sustainability, Innovation, Solar Energy

Status

In Progress

Design Team

Size

3,4 Ha.

Program

Solar Power Community of 170 Homes

BillionBricks Homes

 

community in the Philippines

BillionBricks community is the world’s first self-financing community, that combines housing and clean solar energy into a single investible financialsolution. It presents an extraordinary opportunity to shape the future of our world, where everyone can be a homeowner while mitigating climate change.

 

powerHYDE self financing carbon negative home for homeless families

The first prototype of powerHYDE is built in India

 

powerhyde
solar home
powerHYDE self financing carbon negative home for homeless families

The solar roof extends beyond the house to create comfortably shaded verandah’s

 

powerHYDE self financing home

PowerHYDE combines through one solution, the enormous demand for housing, the increasing need of sustainable energy through a sustainable financial model.

 

powerHYDE self financing carbon negative community for homeless families

powerHYDE is a cohesive model marrying housing demand and sustainable finance. It allows homes to become a passive income generator. Through design, construction and methodology it becomes an active contributor to a family’s income.

A community of 75 homes can jointly generate 1 MW of power. This ensures that solving the complicated puzzle of the enormous housing demand does not become a liability but an opportunity towards a sustainable future.

 

 

system thinking

Unlike an average household, each BillionBricks home is designed to be self-sufficient and capable of being totally off grid. It removes itself from the greater system by producing renewable solar energy, harvesting rainwater, managing waste in septic tanks and supplementing food production with seasonal gardens. The benefits of this are exponential when these homes combine to form communities.

 

carbonflow analysis

A BillionBricks home can achieve carbon neutrality in 6 years beyond which it becomes a carbon negative home as explained in the adjacent diagram.

 

community process

Phase 1: How and where can impact be created?

Phase 2: Bringing together design and development

Phase 3: Building together

Phase 4: Homes for the people

Phase 5:Time for plans to turn into reality: the construction phase.

exploded parts

In order to optimise construction time and structural quality, BillionBricks is developing its own low cost
and hand-held pre-fabrication technology for structural and service systems. This will allow pre-fabricated components to be assembled on site without the use of specialised equipment or heavy machinery.

 

kit of parts

BillionBricks homes are constructed as a combination of prefabricated and localised elements. It’s unique combination of 30% prefabricated solar roof and structural systems along with 70% localised finishes allows the home to adapt to various cultures, climates, needs and contexts making it fit for a global market.

 

construction sequence

The design of a BillionBricks home can be broken down into a kit of parts. Designed with very few components, the house allows easy construction, maintenance, repair and disassembly.

 

floor plan powerhyde

Floor Plan

 

Sustainability Diagram

Sustainable Systems lower the Environmental impact of the Billionbricks Home:

1. Solar power generation and sale to smart grids
2. Rain water harvesting for use in the household
3. Seasonal Food cultivation
4. Stack ventilation for improved indoor climate
5. Machinery-free, tension-based column construction

phased construction of powerHYDE self financing home

PowerHYDE is expandable to allow for future growth and changing needs. The system is designed to be applicable for both urban and rural applications.

 

powerHYDE self financing home

The framework of powerHYDE is universal, but the infill is flexible. It is customisable to the multitude of variations in climate, social context and geographies.