NAMAKKAL: Each one of us, at some point in our lives, gets bitten by the travel bug, and wishes to backpack to the great unknown to find newer places and fresher experiences. If only wishes were horses...
What with the daily grind for bread and butter eating into one's travel plans, vacations are often relegated to a pipedream. But, this 23-year-old decided to merge his travel plans with the dreams of owning a house of his own, and how! An architect, N G Arun Prabhu, is a living testimony to Jack Kerouac's On the Road meeting VS Naipaul's A House for Mr Biswas.
A cosy house with a fair-sized bedroom, decently-equipped modular kitchen and a bathroom thrown in is what Prabhu, a resident of Velur in Namakkal, calls his Portable Mobile Auto, which quells his travel bug and the pining for a house in one go. While this may not sound entirely flattering, one has to listen to his take on the concept to get an inkling into what the three-wheeler mobile home, or a caravan, is all about.
The inspiration came from the numerous slum dwellers and the homeless he came across while pursuing his graduation at a Chennai college.
He was particularly moved by the plight of the itinerant vendors, who retired for the night wherever they were protected from the elements. And, more often than not, these shelters were nothing to write home about.
Born into a traders' family, Prabhu's happens to be the first graduate of his lineage. "The unhygienic conditions they lived in, and cooked and ate their food inspired me to search for a solution," he tells The New Indian Express, adding, "Most poor families live, eat and sleep together in a cramped 50-100 sq feet tenements. This takes a heavy toll on health and hygiene."
Why a three-wheeler though?
Again, the answer lies in his Chennai experience when he saw the autos transforming into portable houses as and when the need arose. "Big caravan vehicles are quite common. However, I thought to tinker with the concept to suit India's needs, where traders are more often than not in possession of autos," Prabhu lets on.
Prabhu has applied for a Three-Wheeler Caravan patent and is awaiting approval. His other application has been made with the RTO, and the nod from there too is awaited.
His model, as described by him, is designed keeping in view Indian needs. "My design is tuned according to Indian needs. Planned on a 6x6 sq feet layout, there is around 45 per cent open space for ventilation; it thereby works towards heat reduction and air circulation. Solar energy takes care of the power needs with a provision for 600 watts usage; there is a 250-litre water tank with proper plumbing alongside a cooking slot and a bathing tub.
The modular kitchen is capable of holding utensils, a small gas cylinder, dish wash and a cloth drying panels. A rotating umbrella, which can be stooped anti-clockwise towards the portico of the mobile house, acts as the roof. The portico acts as the main entrance. The house has been designed aesthetically on architectural concepts of vertical and horizontal louvres for wind management. Small detailing on the inside allow for cross-ventilation as well all the while helping reduce humidity," he says.
What about waste management, you ask?
"A 70-litre container collects wastewater, which has to be manually disposed of," he explains.
Now comes the most important facet:
Cost. For a concept that claims to address the travel and housing needs at one go, a Rs 1 lakh price tag for retrofitting does not come across as steep. And, Prabhu assures delivery of the mobile house in five months.