What is the $300 house?

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As the name suggests, the $300 house is simply a house that costs $300 or less to build. It was proposed as a solution to the housing crisis for the poor that has beset many developing countries, by two Indians, Christian Sarkar and Vijay Govindrajan in an issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Christian, who was in Mumbai recently to give a talk about his project on a design and innovations platform, was only too happy to share the details of the project with the audience.
“The goal was simply to design a dwelling that would shelter a family from the elements, provide them safety and security at night and afford them a measure of dignity,” said Christian, explaining the objective behind the project. India, Haiti and Indonesia are some of the countries where Christian and Vijay wanted the $300 house to be tested and built.
The project has found widespread support, especially since innovators from every part of the world have been invited to submit their designs to make the $300 house a reality.
“How can organic, self-built slums be turned into livable housing? What might a house-for-the-poor look like? How can world-class engineering and design capabilities be used to solve the problem?” These are just some of the questions Christian and Vijay say they asked themselves when they conceptualised the project.