The Open Ideas National Competition 2021 on Improving Liveability of Small Houses organized by  INHAF (Habitat Forum) in partnership with Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA);  INI Design Studio Pvt. Ltd, and The Indian Green Building Council ( IGBC) seeks to engage practicing architects, interior designers, planners, engineers and students of these faculties; related Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); Government agencies, professionals working on slum upgrading and slum rehabilitation and others with innovative ideas in developing proposals on improving  livability of small low cost houses or apartments being constructed by public agencies and private builders under PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) and other affordable housing schemes and projects.

The Competition also intends covering current and past In-situ Slum Improvements Projects and Slum Rehabilitation Projects to seek ideas on improving project design, planning, financing and implementation.

The competition seeks to present the challenge of designing small houses to the design professionals who, for various reasons, tends to keep away from such projects. It also aims to draw attention and raise awareness that:

1. The inadequate size dictated by affordability constraints could be stretched through innovations in planning, design and detailing

2. People centric project planning should include psychological, social, cultural and life-style factors as also the participative/ consultative practice

3. Sustainability features, especially water and energy conservation and waste management should be an integral part of the project design.

4. Buildings should be aesthetically pleasing and add to the city landscape, and

5. Emphasis should also be on the ‘community’ aspects of living.

The competition also seeks ideas on making the building bye laws more realistic and sensitive to the needs of small apartments and low-cost buildings. It also asks competition participants to identify and present innovative ideas and solutions created and adopted by residents in their homes to improve livability.

Main emphasis of the competition is on practical, doable, implantable ideas.

More information about the competition, deliverables are available in the detailed brochure available for download below