In order to spread awareness of how small spaces can be utilised to their full potential, an architect from Tamil Nadu named Arun Prabhu built a portable and detachable house on the back of a pickup auto-rickshaw! According to an earlier report by TOI, his aim was to educate people of “compact houses” as many don’t know how to build a house in a small piece of land.
Speaking to TOI, Prabhu says, “Many don’t know how to construct a house on a small piece of land. They move to rented houses without utilising the space that they have. I have designed this model for such people.”
Arun’s 6-feet by 6-feet “autorickshaw house”, or ‘Solo:01’ as he calls it, is solar-powered and has a bedroom-cum-drawing room space, kitchen, bathtub, and a toilet. It also has a terrace space and space for vendors to display their products. It also has windows for proper ventilation.
He claims that the entire structure can be dismantled by removing a few nuts and bolts – his idea is to show how light the house is.
“I have seen people living in slum areas in cramped spaces. Since India’s population is high, we need to design compact houses using limited space. Many slums can be converted into better living spaces,” he says.
According to The Business Insider, this model is suitable for solo travellers, homeless people, construction workers, or victims of natural disasters who need temporary housing.
This auto-rickshaw house has been constructed using metal scraps from demolished houses and buses. The cost of building this structure is Rs 1 lakh, excluding the cost of the vehicle, reports TOI.
Here’s a video capturing the full tour of the house!
People on the internet are very impressed by Arun’s innovation. Here’s what they said:
The Real Indian Techie, who can understand the needs and works for the country with innovative and affordable solution.
Unlike the other techies who chose leave the country just for sake of money and personal happiness, ends up working for other countries. https://t.co/DgEBwFbkeU— Unapologetic आम नागरिक (@Unapolo84225325) October 10, 2020
Must read! This is innovative par excellence! https://t.co/e1pMxfY0Bx
— Pradeep Ramakrishnan (@PradRam9) October 10, 2020
This is absolutely mesmerising! https://t.co/zTQl74AacI
— Jatin Shriyan (@hendrix1690) October 10, 2020
This should be featured in World's Most Extraordinary Homes. https://t.co/xQiY8ZPvuF
— Abhishek Shastri (@abhisha22) October 10, 2020
Talk about innovation and the spirit of making the most out of little, Indian's will be right up there taking the pole position. https://t.co/nKLSVrLBWx
— Bhavesh Jaglan (@JaglanBhavesh) October 10, 2020
Arun Prabhu is a native of Namakkal and currently runs his own architectural firm in Bengaluru. He studied architecture from MARG Institute of Design and Architecture, Swarnabhoomi.
His idea of utilising small spaces to provide accommodation for poor people is indeed brilliant. Kudos to Arun for coming up with such a creative idea!
What do you think of this autorickshaw house? Tell us!