MODULE 9

During my visit to the incremental house in Bot Village, I observed several things after interacting with the village people and the family who lives in the house. After talking to them, I noticed a few things: the public interactive spaces were a network of porches; there was no proper community gathering space; the typology of the house was such that it could not incorporate new businesses within the household; and there was no space for the children of the village to play or learn something new and interact with each other and their surroundings.

 

The major issue facing the family of the house was that the two couples who lived there were getting old and had decided to reduce their time spent on the farm fields, which were their primary source of income. They were planning to introduce new businesses within or near their house, which would be convenient for them to operate and manage. The businesses that were going to be incorporated would be run by the women of the house. For this purpose, one of the most significant decisions in changing the typology of the structure has been made: moving the kitchen, which is currently at the back of the house, to the front and closer to the new businesses introduced. The new businesses being introduced are a daycare area and a shop. The reason for moving the kitchen forward is to facilitate easy and efficient movement for the women between the kitchen, the daycare area, and the shop. To further enhance efficiency, the placement of the bedrooms was also adjusted next to the kitchen.

 

In addition to this, the entire layout of the house was designed to be more open, allowing the home to open in all four directions. This increases visibility and the visual connection of the inhabitants to the businesses, enhancing security and safety, especially for the children in the daycare area and the valuables in the shop. The spaces in the house are distinguished by different levels, reducing the number of walls needed and effectively reducing construction costs. The openness of the house also addresses heating issues, as the spaces flow into each other and the surrounding environment, providing a cooling effect. The overlapping roofs also help disperse heat from the house.

 

Another program that had to be added was the incorporation of a new "home within a home" on the second floor of the house. An experiment was conducted by me with a new topology where the house forms around an open courtyard. The second floor becomes a new home, with a overlooking design over the daycare area and surrounding it with the kitchen and toilet facilities located above the main kitchen and toilet. This setup allows for shared services and bedrooms located over the shop, creating a home that surrounds the courtyard, which opens up to the sky and the daycare area.

 

In conclusion, there was an effective change in the typology of the house, from moving the kitchen to the front and opening up the layout for incorporating new businesses that needed to be managed.