Tetris

The construction sector is India's largest sectors that contributes 7.7% to its GDP with a size of Rs. 10,640.68 billion in 2015-16, making it a vital part of the Indian economy. The construction Industry essentially consists of migrant workers from various parts of the country like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Ranchi. Average age group of these workers vary from 16 years to 60 years and the demographics include teenagers, married couples with family, divorcees and widows amongst others. Many of these workers do odd jobs in their hometown like work in a shop or farm but they are forced to migrate to the cities and join the construction sector due to a lack of income in their native towns as a means to make ends meet. As a result, the construction industry currently employs 51 million workers making it the second largest employer after the agricultural sector. 

The responsibility of providing housing to these workers falls on the construction company that hires a contractor. As a result they are mostly stationed in colonies/settlements/shelters made out of tin sheets. These temporary housing is created  in/around the workplace/site and is reused and moved from one site to next. The living conditions provided in these housing to the workers are unhygienic and uncomfortable. These facts are mostly blind sided by the provider. Made from very informal construction methods these shelters don't provide basic hygienic living conditions. They are not weather friendly, not theft proof, not well ventilated making them claustrophobic. It is least to say that it provides an extremely undignified way of living. Due to rat infestation the colony experiences immense issues like hanging broken wires that might lead to fire hazards, power cuts and other deadly infections and diseases. Broken bathrooms and flooded floors adds to the misery. It is of utmost importance that these issues be addressed in a humane manner and hence the larger goal of the project is to provide a sustainable solution and develop a well structured shifting, construction and management system that can help both the parties (employer and worker) to set up a shelter that provides a dignified way of living for the workers and reduces the carbon footprint and thus help the environment and earth as a whole.

India produces about 150 million tons of construction waste every year. 1% of the construction and demolition waste is treated while the rest ends up in landfills contaminating the environment and cause respiratory illnesses. In addition to that, about 6.2 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually. Out of this only 40% o is recycled,  the rest ends up in water bodies, oceans or landfills. This releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere which eventually becomes the cause of respiratory illness in not just humans but it affects birds, insects and other animals as well. There is a significant need to reuse the waste and put it back into the system to ensure a sustainable ecosystem.

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Placolite is a material solution to create a sustainable ecosystem that can reinvent construction waste by combining it with the increasing levels of plastic waste . The material solves both the plastic and Construction & demolition waste problem in India by giving the waste an alternative use.

Tetris is a modular housing project developed as a Kit of Placolite hollow-core slabs(6ftx3ft), metal members, nuts and bolts to build the construction worker’s shelter. Tetris shelter is entirely made from slotting, interlocking, and nut-bolts. It is easy to construct and easy to deconstruct. 

Each labour colony is a temporary settlement that is built for 1-2 years based on the timeline of the project. Tetris makes it easy for the contractors to create the shelter periodically. Unlike the current method which takes half a month to construct a shelter for 50 people and requires 10 people. Tetris requires only 5 days to construct the same using 5 people. 

Tetris creates a dignified way of life for the construction workers, it is equipped with proper ventilation, electricity, lockable door, ample space, and inbuilt seating. It is a  finished home with concealed electric lining and passive heating/cooling techniques. Tetris is designed for future extensions, the house developed as a module offers the possibilities of clusters with compounds, central areas, attached rooms and different shape arrangements. The ‘4-way plate’ (a component of the kit), allows expansion in any of the 4 directions. One kit with many possibilities. The home constructed using Tetris makes it more liveable, caring and respects the workers living inside. It offers a dignified lifestyle and makes it feel safe. Tetris offers multiple ways of interaction with its clients, such as sale of kit, rent, lease and sell back options.

Placolite is 2.5 times stronger and 2 times lighter than a usual mud brick produced in India. The slabs, corrugated roofing sheets, doors and windows used in Tetris are made from the same. The slabs used are hollow-core creating an air insulator within the slab helping with the required temperature difference between the inside and outside. The air gap is also used for concealed electric lines and other jugads (life hacks).  Example- Bend a reinforcement rod into a long s-hook and use it to hang bags from the walls.

Placoliote works with existing stakeholders such as waste treatment plants, waste collectors, Sewage treatment plants, C&D treatment centers for raw material. We use simple processes like industrial cleaning, shredding and compression moulding to produce the Placolite panels. Shredded plastic and broken down aggregate from the C&D treatment centers are mixed in the appropriate ratio in a temperature controlled furnace. The viscous fluid is then moulded into Placolite panels that will be used for Tetris.

Tetris caters to the growing waste problem in the country and the degraded housing condition of the marginalized communities in the country. Our principles align with the 2030 Paris agreement.

The unequal distribution of resources has forever been a challenge in a country like India where the primary stakeholders are forever disadvantaged. ‘Tetris’ is a solution that aims to serve the foundational stakeholders and the invisible backbone of the construction industry, the migrant construct workers who shape our city’s landscape on an everyday basis. 

Have we ever questioned where the workers while  building our homes and bedrooms themselves sleep at night? Have we thought of why the same people who built the  basaltina countertop in our kitchen with a hindware auto clean chimney, do not even have a proper window for the carcinogenic smoke from their cooktops to escape, putting them at a major risk of lung cancer everyday. Is this what industrialization has led to? The sociological principle of ‘Alienation’ where a person who makes something cannot even think of consuming it, for it is so out of his reach. Can a construction worker even imagine living in the bedroom he was working on? 

When it comes to their own living conditions, piled up trash, stagnant water in the bath area, water scarcity, soot on the walls, smoke and fumes from cooking trapped inside the rooms due to improper ventilation, stinking and unhygienic toilets are all observed in their tin settlements. Primary and secondary data shows, workers reside in these temporary settlements for an average of 2 years (roughly the duration of the construction project). Upon interviewing the workers, they seemed to have accepted their conditions with no option or hope left, stating - “What can we even do now, we are habituated to it”, “Who cares about us.”  

Responsibility of the worker’s shelter, water, electricity amongst other essentials is taken care of by the contractor . The settlement is usually made adjacent to the site on barren land with 50 - 150 workers and about 5 workers in each tin boxed room. Bathrooms are close-by, situated above a septic tank which is cleared by a sewage suction truck every week or fortnight depending on the capacity of the tank.

Rooms in the shelter are row houses with common walls shared by the adjacent rooms. Each room is a simple cuboidal piece with a 2 inch concrete flooring and tin walls and roofs. Tin as a material is a low cost and easy to build with resource. However, it fails to be season friendly as it heats up in summers, conducts heat from one wall to another while cooking leading to the accumulation of carcinogens making the workers at a high risk for lung related diseases.

Current shelters incorporate a very informal method of construction with cheaply available material is in the market like Tin, metal wires and poles. Contractor uses the materials from one site to another, which over time are damaged with holes and rust. Problems like indoor flooding, leaking rainwater and hanging electric wires are seen often. Jugaad(hacks) are observed in the shelters, workers come up with quick solutions to hang their clothes and creating seating. 

The project started off as one person’s vision towards a sustainable construction material. Through the development of the project a measurable network of people and organizations was created who have their expertise in various fields like chemical engineering, biomimicry, material sciences, laboratory testing analysis, meteorology, plastic manufacturers, designers and artists. The team now comprises a mechanical design engineer, system design thinker, an architect and an Interior and Social change designer. 

Moncy, the mechanical engineer from the state of Kerala (India's best air quality state) understands the technicalities behind machinery and the growing upcoming technology. Along with him, the system design thinker, Kiran helps understand the design process and ambiguity and potential of material combinations. He runs his own design studio on the side and his 16 years of experience in the industry is what adds value to the project. In addition to them, the team also includes Anchita, who is situated in mumbai and is a freelance social change designer. She has been actively involved in the project since its birth. To help the project and understand its scope better, Rishi Tej and Kanisha, situated in Cincinnati and Canada respectively, are the architects and design thinkers on the team who have been our valuable consultants through the development of the project. Last but not the least A.Shree Tej has been working towards sustainability for the past 4 years being involved in various programs through his years of practice. He has worked in multiple sectors of developing biomimetic solutions for organizations. He has also been part of the Unleash Innovation program and has been involved in various conferences, programmes and workshops related to sustainability and climate change. 

As a team of graduates from prestigious schools in India, we feel confident in executing the project and intend to impact the current situation in the country. The team has also laid down a calculated road map for the project and has milestones for the following years.

We have developed a business model that is under discussion with experts and potential funders. We have tested the material and arrived at the right composition. We have taken Placolite to contractors, builders, real estate owners and other stakeholders. We have spoken to communities and waste pickers who might potentially be part of our system. Scaled dow model of the housing has been developed and taken to experts and few stakeholders. We have developed a roadmap for our business venture. 

Our solution doesn't serve anyone currently. But we aim to create an impact on the construction worker sector. Our target is Karnataka state for the next few years. Around 2.5 million construction workers are employed in the state. Around 51 million construction workers are employed in the country. 

Being part of a community of changemakers is always beneficial. We as a team are always open to learning and we believe there is always more to learn. MIT Solve space is a diverse network of experts and knowledge systems with resources that can be significantly helpful for our organization. Apart from monetary funding, Solve is a promising opportunity with regards to the aspects like future guidance, training and development. For early entrepreneurs like us, being supported by experts and a prestigious institution like MIT is very valuable. In early stages, we have a lot of unlearning and learning. Being surrounded with experts, professionals and mentors gives us more strength and confidence. Being a part of the Solver community will allow us to network with other individuals and organizations to share global goals, motives, experience, ideas and knowledge.

Additionally, the nine-month program by solve sounds very helpful for our further development. Being a part of this program, we would be equipped with learnings in diverse fields and could prepare ourselves for the market and tackle the challenges efficiently. The program furthermore gives us access to learning resources in strategy development, which would aid our immediate requirements. We believe being part of Solve will add significantly to our progress and learnings for the future. 

Last but not the least, being termed as an MIT Solver is a respectful recognition. Here in India, companies and clients do get more validation and develop trust in start-ups when they are recognized by a prestigious institute hence being a Solver does give us an advantage in the market.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”

The material science of the product also comes with a systemic intervention which involves existing stakeholders to be part of the process. It makes use of systems and laws that are in place in the country. The complexity lies in the simplicity of the system. It involves a range of stakeholders who will have personal motives and benefits to be part of the system.

Placolite’s entry into the market as a material will open up product and delivery scope. Placolite factories will work based on a distributed network of production. Plastic waste and construction waste is available in each and every state in India. The system breaks the centralized model of manufacturing and distribution also resulting in reduction of pollution in transportation. Each state in the country has been fighting both of these problems since the past few decades. Raw material for Placolite are available in every state hence it can be produced in any state of India.The system focuses on local employment and job opportunities in and around the manufacturing centers.

The existing methods of constructing a shelter takes about half a month whereas Tetris’ modularity and ease of construction cuts down the construction time to 5 days. The ability to adapt to any topography, and shape of land along with its flexibility with respect to various organisations such as clusters, courtyard grouping and community spaces makes it versatile in nature and user-friendly. 

Tetris is designed such that it can be dismantled and packed as a kit of parts to be easily transported and stacked/stored. It is innovative in its sense of simplicity. Taking advantage of economical raw materials, existing construction processes, and building a system with existing stakeholders to create homes for a marginalized community makes it innovative, efficient and empathetic. 

It offers the market a formal method of housing for construction works during a project. It ticks all the terms and conditions for a comfortable shelter while it also eradicates 2 major problems in the country, Plastic and C&D Waste. It is our respectful duty to provide good homes for people who are constructing our houses. One’s basic amenities cannot be taken away from him.

·       We plan to partner with sewage treatment plants to collect plastic waste that floats in from across the town. This collaboration will help us gain a better understanding of marine ecosystems and the impact of plastic waste on them. We will also conduct monthly cleaning drives at the treatment plants to remove the plastic waste.

·       We've established partnerships with local waste treatment centers, and our goal is to collaborate with additional government and private organizations that collect and segregate waste in the state, as well as organizations focused on construction and demolition waste treatment. We recognize the importance of engaging with the relevant governing bodies and will make this a priority going forward. Our plan is to set up our first manufacturing facility to demonstrate proof of concept and validate our approach with these organizations

 Next Year

1. Collaborate with Government organizations, private waste segregation centers and demolition plants to source raw material. 

2. Set up a factory for the production of Placolite Slabs. 

3. File Legal and Patent documents

4. Network and PR

5. Partner with companies as their CSR initiative

6. At the end of 6 months, we will have one Tetris colony. (POC)

 Next 5 Years

1. Have a network of 20 Tier1 construction companies, 50 contractors

2. Be present/operate in 5 states of India

3. 10-15 circulating projects

4. Created over 50 colonies

3.9.1

Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution 

We measure the impact by the number of shelters that we have provided to the the construction workers. Tetris is a well ventilated home unlike the current method which traps the smoke from burning wood (workers use traditional methods of cooking).

Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing

We measure the impact by the number of shelters that we have provided to the the construction workers.

Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

We calculate the impact by measuring the amount of plastic waste and C&D waste we have reused to make Placolite.

Goal 15:

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

We calculate the impact by measuring the amount of plastic waste and C&D waste we have reused to make Placolite. These wastes endup in landfills, outskirts and sometimes in middle of a street. Plastic contaminates land and pollutes the environment.

Goal 14: 

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

We calculate the impact by measuring the amount of plastic waste waste we have reused to make Placolite. Plastic waste pollutes the water bodies and contaminates the ecosystem. It causes a hazard to the marine species and other birds.

It is an utmost necessity to treat a person with respect, no matter the class, caste, race or religion. One’s basic amenities like food, shelter, water and sanitation cannot be snatched away. The current construction colonies provide a not so dignified space to live in. Provided with only one filament bulb per house, it is also poorly ventilated with no sense of safety. 

Construction companies are accountable for their housing but are sometimes helpless as they rely on a contractor who is incharge of the workers, their shelter and wellbeing. Lack of other types of housing methods in the market, or being extremely expensive and unsustainable (PU Foam sandwiched between Tin sheets panels are available in the market), the colonies are being built using the traditional methods. Tetris offers the companies to provide their workers with a dignified way of lifestyle. This also helps the contractor to retain his workers, as workers shifting contractors due to lack of facilities is widely observed in the communities. 

The contractor reuses the material after every project. The same material used on one site is stored and then used on another colony. Usage of traditional methods like hammer, nails and binding wires destroys the Tin sheets, reducing its life span and creating water leakage problems. Contractors constructing Tetris colonies will have an added advantage over others as the panels are not destroyed and last for more numbers of years. Another advantage for the contractor lies in its construction. Workers are paid on a daily wage basis. For the construction of the colony, instead of spending on 10 workers for 15 days, contractors adapting Tetris would have to pay 5 workers for 5 days. It is a win-win situation for the contractor and the workers. 

The system of production uses existing stakeholders such as sewage treatment plants, dry waste segregation centers, demolition waste treatment plants, rag pickers, to source raw material. This system provides individual benefits to the stakeholders. It goes hand-in-hand with the goals of the government. We would have support from government organizations and institutions. This can also lead to a policy level change, as there are strict instructions on construction worker colonies’ health and construction quality. This is managed by bribes at most times. 

The well being of workers is also a reason for media coverage for the company. It is a time when things are led by the media and recognition is a need for the big companies. As a CSR initiative, companies can take up Tetris for their CSR and media coverage and popularity. 

The solution is easily scalable as raw materials for the production of slabs is available in every state. And as the technology is simple, a factory can be set up in no time and the production can begin. While we take these small steps and develop solutions for marginalized communities, on a larger scale we aim to impact the current global warming situation in the country. Our principles align with the 2030 Paris agreement.

Source: Placolite would source its raw material from dump sites, landfills and construction and demolition waste treatment centers. partnerships with organizations both government and private would be the ultimate aim to source raw material in bulk.

Method: Various-sized aggregate is collected from demolition sites as per requirement. The method of industrial sterilization is used to shred the plastic with a plastic shredder. The plastic and the aggregate are then mixed in the right compositions in the furnace.

 The mixture is then fused under controlled temperature to convert plastic into a viscous binder in the furnace which will later be moulded into the products. Manufacturing processes like press moulding, extrusion, dye press and other simple moulding processes are used to produce the products followed by a round of routing to create the inter lockable edges for each.

The Placolite slabs are manufactured in the Placolite facility. The rest of the components like box sections, U bolts, pipes, L-sections, nuts & bolts are sourced at retail price from the market. We weld a few pipes and metal flats together to develop components for the kit. 

 On-site: The foundation is four 2x2x2ft concrete footings. These footings are common for adjacent modules when planned in colonies and clusters.  Wide flange beams are anchored to the metal plate attached to these footings, these W flanges are the columns for the module. Components like the 4-way plate allow expanding the housing in any 4 directions. 

The house is entirely built on the technique of Slotting, Interlocking and bolting. A metal flat(strip) with pipes welded perpendicular on the ends is used as a guided slotting mechanism. Panels are slotted into the pipes and then enclosed with roofing sheets. A 4-way plate and U-bolts are used to lock the structure together to keep it in place. The same panels are cut into half along the length to create a window. 2 box sections are used as bracing to act as lateral supports for the structure. 

The technology involved is very simple and common in the construction industry. The innovation is the material.Tetris uses existing manufacturing processes and materials available in the market. Tetris brings these together to create a simple, modular and efficient housing system.

The Placolite facility generates multiple job opportunities and employment for the locals residing in and around the place. A survey conducted by us for the facility showed that both men and women are interested and can be hired in the construction process of the facility. Majority of the jobs men chose were related to collecting and bringing the waste from the town to the facility, while women showed interest in segregation, running the machines and packaging the goods. Local residents and workers also showed interest in taking up administrative and management roles. An interaction with a transgender community who currently live away from homes begging on the streets and are involved in prostitution showed interest in working in the facility. Placolite management is more than welcoming for people from any community or group to join the team. While Placolite generates employment by hiring locals, it also collaborates with existing stakeholders. It levels up underserved stakeholders from the construction and waste industry to give them a more dignified way of life by providing them employment as well as more dignified living conditions. The system has the potential to give the current 4 million informal waste workers in the country as well as 51 million construction workers better livelihoods and conditions. 

The team aims to create a care based environment at every level by facilitating discussions across stakeholders to allow every employee's voice to be heard. The design of the system itself was done through participatory mediums wherein each users and stakeholders inputs were taken at each stage. The team will be looking at rising up the ladder in the organization without any distinction between gender, race, caste, language, disability and religion. From prioritizing wage equality to building and rebuilding the vision of the organization, every member will be given an equal voice by ensuring collaboration and communication across all levels.

We source our raw material from waste collection centers and demolition waste treatment centers (aggregate). We also partner with local waste pickers who collect particularly plastic waste on a day to day basis and sell them to us. We also source our raw material directly from the construction sites in collaboration with the construction company which is later crushed into aggregate at the C&D treatment centers. We offer personal benefits and motives for our stakeholders to remain in the system.

These raw materials are processed at the Placolite facility to convert them into slabs for the shelter. Other components of the kit are purchased from the market, such as pipes, box sections, nuts, bolts etc. These kits are then sold or rented to the companies or the contractors based on out business schemes. We have schemes in which we partner with both the construction company (parent company) and the contractors, individually. We have about 4 methods of interaction with our clients (2 streams for each). As mentioned, each of the clients can buy or rent the kits from us (terms and conditions involved) as per their requirement. There are laid out clauses for each scheme regarding the cost-structure, maintenance, ownership, legalities and sell back options. 

Each scheme has its own benefits for both us and our client. Clients make decisions about buying or renting based on their scale of project, duration, number of projects they take up and their financial position. Each of them are given individual benefits for them to rely on us and remain in the system.

We are participating in grants, start-up funds and looking for donations at the same time. schemes such as “Swatch-Bharath Abhiyan”.- The 'Clean India Program’ by the government have given us new methods to approach government grants. Our material, Placolite, is a promising solution to reuse plastic waste and Construction-Demolition waste in the country.  

For our long-term sustenance, we have an efficient business model which helps us create revenue. 

 Two major ways we run our business:

1. Work with Construction and real estate companies which do projects throughout the year.

1.1 Companies buy Tetri's kits based on their requirement of the size of their project. These companies own the kit and can assign a contractor from their side to set it up and use it. We provide them with an instruction manual and installation videos helping them with assemblage and disassemblage. This option allows us to receive a bulk amount at one time. This option allows the company to have all the ownership and it is a one-time investment. We have also introduced a sell-back option for circular economy and sustainability. They will be refunded based on the amount of damage caused to the kit, we have terms and conditions for the same that both parties should agree upon.

1.2 Companies collaborate with us and outsource their shelter contract to us. We engage with the company as a contractor and construct the shelter. In this option, the company will be paying us rent and maintenance for the shelter. We take care of the shelter from the ground up as soon as the company provides us with the land. We construct it, maintain it and deconstruct it once the project is done. This option helps us as long as the labour is needed on the site. This option helps us earn on a recurring basis

2. Work with contractors who are hired by the construction company. The contractors are responsible for the construction workers' well-being which includes shelter.

2.1 Contractors buy Tetri's kits based on the number of projects they are involved in. The contractors own the kit and they are responsible for its maintenance. We provide them with an instruction manual and installation videos for the same. Contractors can buy more components on their requirements. This option allows the contractors to have all the ownership and it is a one-time investment. Once they have purchased it, they can use it for however long they maintain it. We have also introduced a sell-back option for circular economy and sustainability. They will be refunded based on the amount of damage caused to the kit, we have terms and conditions for the same that both parties agree upon. 

2.2 Contractors can rent our kits and use them on their own. In this option, we are responsible for the construction of the shelter to make sure of its construction and safety. The contractors pay us rent for the assigned period and additional maintenance costs and repairs in the duration of the course.

We haven't received any funding or grant yet. Currently we are supporting it using our personal savings to set up the foundation. We have 2 plots of land for our facility. We are planning for a financial loan and preparing for start-up grants, seed fundings, innovation challenges etc. We are in conversation with a few potential funders who can support us for a few years. As of now, we do not generate any revenue.