Research Insights

Disruptive change knows no logic, and no one knows it better than you, Bill Gates. Let us crush poverty and not just overcome it. This is your opportunity once again, do not let it go. The new generation is behind you.

As I start my Monday morning, going through the pile of unread emails, there was one that stood out. This was from my colleague Asa, with some recent pictures of our weatherHYDE shelters. For those who don’t know, weatherHYDE is a temporary shelter designed to save lives of the homeless and vulnerable living in extreme weather conditions. This winter we have provided almost 500 weatherHYDEs to homeless families across the world.

Last week the BillionBricks team made a site visit to the under-construction Etania School in Sabah, Malaysia. The Etania Schools are learning centres for the children of migrant labourers who have no access to education otherwise.

Very often, a successful business is defined by its strategy, leadership and purpose. Perseverance often does not make it to the list. However, we at bB, have found ‘perseverance’ to be one of our key qualities that has seen us through our short three year existence.

Affordable housing – macro to micro perspective for design intervention

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody. – Jane Jacobs

It was a cool Valentine’s Day morning, with a nip in the air when the billionBricks team led by Prasoon Kumar travelled an hour in the subway and cycle rickshaw from south Delhi to the banks of the Yamuna where we were invited to visit the urban homeless shelters (Ran Basera) by renowned Social Justice Activist Mr. Harsh Mander.

We tend to think that the main reason why people defecate in the open is that they cannot afford or lack the technical knowledge to build a clean and proper toilet. However, it took me a brief walk around the village and a couple of conversations with local men to shake this conviction and understand that open defecation is a social problem and not an infrastructure shortage.

Recently, I was shocked to read this article which describes “Shanty Town” a unique vacation destination which has been created where the rich can experience what it feels like to be in slum by paying about 82 dollars a night.