Housing for all (PMAYG) Prototypes - Indore

Where the Bhopal unit focuses on sensory comfort, the Indore prototype champions structural ingenuity and a circular economy, serving as a didactic model for self-reliant construction. Its most defining feature is the roof, which revives traditional masonry techniques to create a thermally and acoustically superior envelope.

Using simple, movable formwork that a local team can easily fabricate, the masons construct a ceiling of jack arches and a brick barrel vault in the mezzanine. The resulting gracefully curved interior feels more voluminous and less oppressive than a low, flat concrete ceiling. This structural choice directly translates budget which is otherwise spent on steel and cement from distant factories, into wages for skilled local masons, strengthening the village economy. It sends a powerful message: a resilient and beautiful roof can be built with local brick and skill, not just with industrial concrete and rebar.

This prototype’s commitment to a circular economy is embedded from the ground up. The foundation utilizes compacted construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The principle of creating value from waste is even more visible in the flooring. The Jack Arch roof is also flattned with waste PET bottles to flatten it from the top.

A durable and richly patterned surface is created from Kota stone trimmings. The patient craft of sorting, fitting, and setting these irregular offcuts results in custom high-value finish from material that would otherwise be landfill. Connecting the levels is a hybrid half-lap stair, a solution to vertical circulation in a tight space. It’s minimal footprint keeps the main room open and adaptable, anticipating that the family might incrementally add another room in the future.