WHere?

Site 12°39’44.0”N 80°01’26.3”E

The site is located at a small village called Porunthavakkam in Chengalpattu district. The site sits adjacent to the state highway 58, which connects Sadras, Thirukazhukundram, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Arakonam and Thiruthani. The main occupation of those people is agriculture.

Why a Peri-Urban area?

Peri-Urban area mostly comprises of former farmlands which were about to be sold for expansion of suburbia. Such like space will be ideal to experiment with a prototypeesque community whose ideas will also be used and inspire the upcoming development around. The land will also be ideal for Agriculture since they were agrarian communities earlier.

Further, More than half of the world’s population are living in cities. This creates an excessive need for resources within a city. Hence creating a community outside the urban area reduces the stress in cities. Similar to Ebenezer Howard’s Garden city concept, this community is an attempt to have the best of both urban and rural regions.

Circulation Climate

Design Response

how?

Community Framework based on Study Constrtuction techniques

The Social and Population framework for this community was obtained from the study made on several other intentional communities around the globe such as Twin Oaks, Earthaven eco-village, Findhorn, Konohona, Emerald ecovillage, Arcosanti & Auroville.

Following are some of the Construction materials & techniques inferred from the studies made. The most common thing between these materials is they are vernacular to the site and its surrounding region.

42 hours weekly work =

Basic Ammenities

The intentional community works under the concept of resource sharing. Necessities such as housing, food, healthcare will be provided by the community in return for 42 hours of weekly work. According to their field of interest, every person can choose different work every week. This is to avoid the monotonous single profession practice (which happens in the conventional society). The work chosen can be either income-generating or domestic chores. They do can have a separate job but the income generated will be shared with the community. Since every basic need was available inside the community, the need for money is very less. A very little amount of money was enough for infrastructure maintenance. And the income was generated using retail shops, nursery gardens, Community kitchen, Manure selling (ecosan waste) and individual earnings. The members of the community share everything except their dwelling unit.