A home is a product of much dreaming and deliberation. A good design gives this dream a shaoe. It is finally made real, by the bare hands of construction workers who spend time away from their home, building our homes. Often, on construction sites, work goes on for about 3 years or more. The intent of the design is to provide a dignified quality of life for construction workers and their families. However, for the idea to be viable, these shelters on site should be beneficial to the builder as well. Thus, they need to be both environmentally sustainable and economically sustainable.
Architects: Mohanabrabu BM
Status: Concept
Shelter for
shelter shapers
The construction labours have been an integral part of the industry. Shaping shelter for shelter shapers should be a primary concern for the construction industry. A resilient shelter which could bear all the outcomes of nature should be adopted in the shelter since construction labours will always be in the movement for their next workplace. Such shelter should be based on sustainable methods that respond to the context.
Due to growth of IT parks and educational institutions, OMR is witnessing an exponential increase in the need forresidential and commercial space. The site is Opaline Sequel at Navallur, Chennai. A luxury multi storey housing project. The period of construction is expected to be three years. L&T holds the construction contract and uses aluminium formwork construction system.
Site selection
CRITERIA
The site is chosen based on site analysis and value additions that would have a greater role in making green transit shelters for construction labours.
The green – transit shelter site is along the Buckingham canal and next to the ready-mix concrete plant and stockyard. As per the norms, the site of the construction camp is located within 1000m habitation from the local community.
Design parameters in building the green-transit shelter
Design Principle
The design principle is evolved based on the form and materiality in mind
The form is generated based on the program, context, climate and sustainable conditions. The green-transit shelter makes use of construction waste from the siteand modular formwork system, thus making it a highly portable and sustainable form of shelter.
Making Shelter and
MATERIALITY
The construction process produces large amounts of waste that end up in landfill. By breaking this cycle of waste disposal and combining it with suitable construction technology, we can produce valuable building elements,beneficial for the investor.
The step-by-step method for assembling the green-transit shelter will be based on the property of the material. Heavier construction materials will form the base, while lighter materials will form the rest of the structure that makes it flexible enough to dismantle it.
Asdamaged and unused formwork is reused in the green-transit shelter, the return on investment for the investor increases. The portable nature of theformwork helps in the creation of the shelter as well.
Mohanabrabu
Mohanabrabu graduated from the School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai. He holds a diverse experience apart from architecture towards graphic design, photography and product development. He is a practising architect at architectureRED with interests and concerns over design, space, society and energy efficiency.