Tata Group which brought Tata Nano, worlds cheapest car is all set to build world’s cheapest homes. Tata’s new project is to build houses which cost only $700 and can be built in a week. Each house will be 215 square foot with pre-fabricated kit including doors, windows and a roof.
The price tag for the house is $700 which translates to Rs. 32000 INR. For that price you can buy an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy S2. Imagine buying a house instead of an iPad. That would be might liberating. Of course, the house has to be placed on a piece of land which has its own cost associated with it.
$700 is the price of the base version which comes with interiors clad in coconut fibre or jute. The house has a lifespan of 20 years. There is another variant of the house which is a 30-square meter version with a solar panel and a verandah.
Tata already has 3 designs in the works and is going on a field test in West Bengal. State of Bengal and Tata go long way back. Tata’s Nano project was pulled out of Bengal because of strong opposition from Mamatha Banarjee, now Chief Minister of West Bengal. Tata’s choice of Bengal for yet another Nano project is interesting. Tata plans to sell these houses to private buyers who already has a plot of land and to state governments who plan to build houses on a mass scale.
In a country which has a $2bn house with 27 floors, having a 215 square foot house might actually sound poor. It isn’t poverty. It’s a symbol of simplicity. Off late, there’s a silent revolution going on across the world where people are re-thinking and re-designing their living spaces. Some are doing out of curiosity and some are doing out of necessity. Jay Shafer lives in a 89 square foot house which has a loft as a bedroom. Fuyuhito Moriya lives in a 323 square feet house in Tokyo which is built on 30 square meters. Best part is, it is a 3-storey building. Of course for Shafer and Moriya, money isn’t a problem. Space is. For Tata’s test case which is India, both money and space are a problem.
Regardless of what motivates people it’s well proven that living in small space is possible. With great plans and intelligent furniture designs, small living could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. You don’t have all the maintenance to deal with.
Tata says the homes will be sold to those living in village areas and could also be sold to councils in bulk that are looking to build up areas. Mr Das also said the company was bouncing ideas off local councils to develop the most suitable style homes.
The houses are said to have a life expectancy of around 20 years.Just like Tata Nano car became the first choice for a second car for many wealthy Indians.
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