Developing countries are facing a population boom which will see a staggering increase in the number of people who will be requiring a roof over their heads by 2030. It is a goal of the United Nations (UN) to secure basic needs such as housing and essentials for the less fortunate, as well as to improve the conditions of slums on a global scale.
Enter Doonya, a Singapore-developed community service project that merges design with engineering and technology. Its sole objective is to provide a solution to the forthcoming urbanisation crisis by offering environment friendly, integrated, transient, fully-serviced and durable maker-pod-homes to those living in urban slums, war zones, densely populated cities, and for at-risk women, children or youth, the homeless and refugees.
These homes will not only serve as a home and safe haven for its residents, but also furnish them with a stable residential and business address. What are some of the other perks of a Doonya home-pod?
- Built in a day
One of the partners of the Doonya project is The Shelter Company, which is the creator of the innovative Tubelar® infrastructure technology. With this technology, Doonya can be installed in a mere few hours.
- Customisable to suit various requirements
Whether it is a permanent, semi-permanent or temporary structure, Doonya is easily customisable.
- No eviction or displacement
Doonya is designed to be an in-situ upgrade and therefore residents need not worry about being evicted or displaced.
- No long-drawn paperwork
There is no need for any length or long-term paperwork as Doonya is a pre-packaged unit.
- No land acquisition
Doonya has been designed as a semi-permanent home that will be leased out for a fixed period, which means that no land acquisition is required on the tenants’ part.
With the list of advantages that potential residents can expect with a Doonya home, what are some features of this pod-home that tenants can also look forward to? The team behind Doonya has designed it with the following attributes in mind:
- It is a family home – Doonya units come equipped with workspaces, storage units, functional kitchen and toilets, separate sleeping areas for every member of the family, and recreational spaces to support optimum family bonding time.
- Maker Pods – Residents will be able to utilise their Doonya home units as a business space to run their own home business.
- Solar Powered – Each unit is environmentally friendly and sustainable.
- Built-In Address – Each unit will be locatable via GPS.
- Built-in Alarm – There are plans to incorporate each Doonya unit with an alarm system that will be crucial in preventing domestic or child abuse.
- Quality Guaranteed – Doonya units are sturdy, secure and constructed with safety as the utmost importance. Its design is also guaranteed to be aesthetically pleasing and will be perfect in providing residents with a sanctuary that uplifts and empowers them.
The Team behind Doonya
THE CHA PROJECT
(Cities • Heritage • Architecture)
Based in Singapore, The CHA Project is an urban curation and design studio that works on revival projects in India. One of the highlights of their work is the preservation of the one and only remaining Chinatown in India that is located in Kolkata.
THE SHELTER COMPANY
The company behind Tubelar® infrastructure technology, The Shelter Company is the leader in providing modular structures in Singapore.
JIA STUDIOS
An award-winning interior design consultancy service and studio, JIA Studios is also heavily involved in humanitarian design projects and community service projects.
PROJECT SHEA
The partner in charge of technology and ecosystem is Project Shea who looks forward to being part of and playing a vital in a sustainable and human-centric future community fuelled by innovation.
Doonya was displayed at the National Design Centre from June18 to July18, 9am to 9pm. Checkout to the launch of what could truly be a game changer in the fight against poverty – THE DOONYA SHOP+HOME PROTOTYPE at SIDFest 2021.
We were honoured to have Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Indranee Rajah, who is also Second Minister for National Development of Singapore, and Minister for Transport of Singapore, S. Iswaran visit Doonya in this festival.
