Jaipur Wall

The housing affordability crisis is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today. Access to decent, 'Affordable housing is fundamental to the health and well-being of people and the smooth functioning of economies. But most cities struggle with the dual challenges of housing their poorest citizens and providing housing at a reasonable cost for low and middle-income populations. The huge affordable housing demand and inadequate supply have created a big void in the market.

Presently 330 million urban households around the world live in substandard housing. By 2025, about 440 million urban households around the world, and at least 1.6 billion people would occupy crowded and inadequate housing. Land prices are so high that the lower-middle-income group finds it impossible to construct a house at a reasonable cost. Also, the traditional building methods are so time-consuming that providing housing to the community using the same old-age methods is impossible. We want to eradicate the 'Housing affordability crisis’ using our innovative construction technique having no carbon footprint on the planet. We envision a green & sustainable environment for future generations by providing affordable housing solutions to bring back social integration & social cohesion.

Hexpressions is a product service innovation providing affordable, fast, modular & sustainable homes to all sections of society using a new-age construction material "Composite Paper Honeycomb Panel”. Composite Paper Honeycomb Panel has two components - an inner core (paper honeycomb made with recycled paper) & outer face material (any local materials like cement board, wood, stone, etc.). This new-age wonder material can replace traditional construction materials & reduce the carbon footprint on the planet ( by 80% ). The project largely focuses on environmental issues (paper waste) & societal issues (housing affordability & social integration) addressing the housing affordability crisis & social exclusion from our society. The project aims to support underserved communities with permanent shelter. The solution empowers people by providing training & skill development to build their own homes & live a dignified life. Composite Paper Honeycomb Panel is an evolutionary product that replaces non-eco-friendly materials like (wood, polyurethane foam, Rock Wool, and Mineral wool) in their respective applications while preserving the key virtues of their usage in the concerned applications. Composite Paper Honeycomb Panel is an eco-friendly, versatile, flexible & lightweight material that has excellent compatibility with other materials & an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. It combines with plywood, steel, plastics, fibre-reinforced plastic & many other materials as its sandwich faces to form some of the strongest composite panels for its weight and dimensions. It is also more economical than most materials, thereby making it an ideal choice. As a product made from recycled paper and eco-friendly glue, it is a boon to the earth as a 100% bio-degradable, nonpolluting, eco-friendly material. Large-scale usage of paper honeycombs can drastically boost the aim of preserving nature.

India, like most major emerging economies, has been witnessing accelerating urbanisation. As per the census of India in 2001, about 72% of the population lived in rural areas, and 28% in urban areas. By 2011, these figures had changed to 69% rural population and 31% urban population. In fact, as per the census of 2011, for the first time since India’s independence, the absolute increase in population was more in urban areas than in rural areas.

According to estimates, around 600 million people are expected to make urban India their home by 2031, a whopping 59% growth over 2011. The current housing deficit in India stands at 19 million units, and is slated to double to 38 million units by 2030. 95% of this deficit is around the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) and LIG (Low Income Group) segments, which technically puts the figure at a staggering 18 million units in this category (approximately). The deficit in this category is approximately 4 lakh units, which, if not addressed, would further aggravate the proliferation of unplanned and unsustainable urbanisation. Statistics show that more than 80% of this category are staying in congested homes. The lack of available housing options, combined with limited income and minimal access to home finance for low-income borrowers, means that millions of Indian households currently live in cramped, poorly constructed houses/slum areas/ shanties. They lack access to a clean and healthy environment, with even basic amenities such as sanitation, clean water, sewage, waste management and electricity often absent. Thus, ‘Affordable Housing’ is an idea whose time has come, and sooner rather than later, planned sustainable urbanisation will have to be by default and not by choice.

It's a B2G/ B2B2C model focusing on Governments, NGOs & philanthropic groups. Our paying customers are Intermediaries ( Developers, Architects, NGOs, and philanthropic organizations) who are dealing in affordable housing and community development projects. 

Revenue is generated by: 

1. Collaborating with intermediaries through various affordable and sustainable housing projects. 

2. Licensing the green construction technique 

3. Renting modular houses as a customized service

We believe that disruptive design ideas can bring change to society. We are a team of designers and when we got to know about the scheme of "Housing for All" by 2022 announced by the honourable prime minister of India, we felt to do something about it. We believed that as architects and designers, we understand the market potential, opportunities, and threats too. Our past work experience also helps us to evaluate the market very well in terms of design requirements and opportunities. So it is not only a project but our duty toward society to make housing affordable and sustainable for not only communities but also the planet.

Hexpressions Team:

1. Abhimanyu Singh, CEO, 

Architect & Retail designer 

Politecnico di Milano, Italy (Master of Science), 2017 National Institute of Design, Bangalore (PGDPD), 2011, B.Arch, Rajasthan University, 2008

Linkedin Profile: ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/ab... ) 

2. Shilpi Dua, CTO, 

Architect & Industrial designer 

Politecnico di Milano, Italy (Master of Science), 2017 School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi, 2011, B.Arch, Rajasthan University, 2008

Linkedin Profile: ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/sh... ) 

We both have over a decade of working experience in the design and construction industry which help us to evaluate the market very well in terms of design requirements & opportunities. We know each other since our college days back in 2003 and since then we are together. We have previously founded 2 startups in Design and Design education. Our like-mindedness to innovate in the field of sustainable housing communities brought us together for this new startup.

87 End users & beneficiaries 

We are always ready to explore and grab new opportunities. Solve program will be an important milestone in our startup journey. At this crucial stage of our startup, the right mix of mentorship, funding, and networking will help us achieve our project milestones in the future. Joining this program will give us a new platform to showcase our product to various stakeholders and users. It will be a unique opportunity for us to know the works of fellow innovators, startups and exchange thoughts. it will help us in joining the unique network of "solvers" and we can leverage the collective wisdom of the community and refine our project.

Our innovative & sustainable construction system transforms the complete life cycle of the built environment, literally. It starts with designing & planning the building on paper and making modules of the panels to minimize wastage of time, labour and material. During construction, we fabricate our panels on-site to minimise the transportation cost and installation time. In the end, when the product life cycle is over we will dismantle the panels and send them for recycling. Hence our overall carbon footprint on the planet will be 80% lesser, 10x faster, and 30% more economical than any traditional construction methods presently available in the market.

Hexpressions uses a holistic approach that provides the user with an end-to-end solution. Our solution changes the complete life cycle of the project from start to end. The prefabricated composite honeycomb panels will be designed to suit the end user's daily needs. The Solution reaches the consumer as a flatpack that consists of Prefabricated honeycomb panels, connectors, sealants and handling instructions in the form of audio and videos. A team of assemblers reach on-site and assemble the house for the consumer in no time. Once the product lifecycle is over it is recycled 100% leaving no carbon footprint on the planet. All the components used in the panels like paper, resin, cement board, etc. are fully recyclable. To expedite the supply chain process most of the panels will be in situ ( assembled on-site).

Our impact goals for the next year are:

1. To construct 300 homes for underprivileged communities locally in India.

2. To reduce CO2 emission by 1200 tonnes by building 200 homes, 75% lower than traditional construction.

3. Skill development and training program to train at least 50 people who can help us build their own homes and get ready for employment.

Our impact goals for the next 5 years are:

1. To construct 5000 homes for underprivileged communities globally.

2. To reduce CO2 emission by 10000 tonnes by building 5000 homes that are 75% lower than traditional construction.

3. Skill development and training program to train at least 500 people who can help us build their own homes and get ready for employment.

4. Dignified life for 5000 families

5. Our drywall construction technique saves 100 million litres of water during construction.

How to achieve this?

1. Collaborating with architects & social organisations for affordable housing projects.

2. Awareness program at the grass-roots level with social organisations about our innovative construction technology.

3. Product showcase through demos, exhibits, pilot projects and digital media.

4. Collaborating with real estate developers for housing projects for economically weaker sections.

Impact progress metrics

1. Number of homes built.

2. Number of people trained through skill development and training programs.

3. Reduction in CO2 emission by building sustainable homes

4. Water consumption reduced compared to traditional construction methods. 

5. Amount of man-hours saved by using prefabricated construction technology.

Problem

The housing affordability crisis is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today. Access to decent, 'Affordable housing is fundamental to the health and well-being of people and the smooth functioning of economies. But most cities struggle with the dual challenges of housing their poorest citizens and providing housing at a reasonable cost for low and middle-income populations. The huge affordable housing demand and inadequate supply have created a big void in the market. Presently 330 million urban households around the world live in substandard housing. By 2025, about 440 million urban households around the world, and at least 1.6 billion people would occupy crowded and inadequate housing.

Wider effects of the problem?

The absence of permanent shelter leads to social disintegration and homeless people become virtually out of society. This exclusion leads to poverty, anti-social activities and health hazards among the affected people.

Vision

We envision a green and sustainable environment for our future generations to come.

Mission

We aim towards sustainability and social integration by providing permanent shelter to underserved communities by using a new-age green construction technique.

What is the ultimate change?  

A permanent shelter for all families globally.

What will be the situation if the problem identified is now solved?

In that case, we will try to improvise the living standard of the families so that they can get access to clean water, energy and space. Also, we would like to implement our construction system in all types of buildings.

Outcomes/Impact

Short-term ( 1-2 years)

What is the first level of positive change beneficiary experiences about the product/service?

The beneficiaries feel more secure, protected and dignified having a permanent shelter.

Long-term (3-5 years)

What are the more permanent changes for the beneficiary?

Better living standards, healthy lifestyle, economic self-sufficiency, behavioural change, higher level of literacy, and social interaction of the beneficiary families. They will formally become part of the social system that contributes to the development of society and the world.

Broader changes in the system and outcomes existing for a while?

• Perception changes about sustainable construction techniques in terms of life, strength and longevity.
• Dignified social life for beneficiaries
• Perception change in society about people with permanent shelter
• Awareness about climate impact and homelessness at large
• Sustainable construction is not only for low-cost & affordable housing

Outputs

What is the immediate result of your activities?

• Sense of safety and security ( Beneficiary )
• Water-saving ( climate impact )
• CO2 emission reduction ( climate impact )
• Resource-saving ( Natural resources )
• Sustainability ( fully recyclable solution )

How many beneficiaries will receive our product/service/program?

We are planning to impact the lives of over 1 million people in the next 5 years and 100 million in 20 years.

Activities 

Steps required to develop our product/service/program?

• Awareness program about sustainable construction
• Skill development program to train unskilled people
• Collaboration with government, NGOs, social organisations, real estate developers
• Product showcase through demos, videos and exhibitions.

Steps required to make our product/service/program available to the beneficiary?

• Collaborate with government and real state developers for affordable housing projects.
• Target customer mapping through desk research, surveys and ground activities.
• Comparative analysis of similar construction solutions in the market.

Inputs 

What are the resources required to develop the product or service? 

• Intellectual & human resources
• Material testing facilities
• Financial resources
• Supply chain/ Channel partners

What are the skills and expertise that are required?

• Marketing & Sales
• Legal
• Business development & expansion

Who are the key stakeholders or partners involved?

• Governments, NGOs & Social organisations
• Architects & Interior Designers
• Real estate developers
• Paper honeycomb manufacturers
• Assembly and Installation team
• End users 

Paper Honeycomb core is widely used in the packaging and furniture industry. Its properties like shock absorption, lightweight, eco-friendly, stackability, and termite-proof make it a truly unique product. Hexpressions is using the advantage of its properties & giving it a new dimension of a unique building material as “Composite paper honeycomb panels”. This material has the highest weight to strength as compared to other traditional building materials. These are fast, modular, affordable, eco-friendly & customized panels, designed to snug-fit products, providing complete protection from outside weathering conditions. The best part of the material is that its face material can be changed as per the local context. The panels can be made with wood, cement board, fibreboard, stone, etc. without any additional efforts to suit the microclimatic conditions. The material withstands all conditions of wind, rain, fire, security, and safety. It is the only drywall system in the market which is green, sustainable & super fast.

The traditional drywall system has 3 different components, support structure, face material & filler material, and is very much prone to cracks and failure because all the 3 components have different coefficients of expansion & contraction. They vibrate on different frequencies & hence more cracks. Hexpressions system has overcome this by combining all 3 components in one single sandwich panel, reducing the cracks and increasing the strength of the overall system.

Hexpressions is a diverse team having inclusion, equality and diversity at its core. We are an equal opportunity employer and have no reservations based on caste, creed, gender and ethnicity. Our founding team is led by a woman and our small team always keeps a fine balance of gender. We recruit people based on their skills and talent and are unbiased. We are a perfect example of a small multidisciplinary team and equal opportunity employment. 

The construction industry has always been a male dominating industry due to its raw, heavy, rusty and harsh working conditions. Hexpressions is leading by example to change this gender bias by creating safe and secure working conditions for women employed. We are involving the rural women workforce to help us in manufacturing paper honeycomb, cutting, packing and assembly using basic hardware tools.

Our prefabricated panels are lightweight and quick to install, which is why our assembly team has 40% women workers. There are no health hazards during the manufacturing of panels and all materials used are eco-friendly and non-toxic. We have also maintained healthy and safe working conditions for our women workers with clean and hygienic washrooms and medical areas.

It's a B2G/ B2B2C model focusing on Governments, NGOs & philanthropic groups. Our paying customers will be Intermediaries ( Developers, Architects, NGOs, and philanthropic organisations) who are dealing in affordable housing and community development projects. But our end consumers will be underserved communities, refugees, the homeless and people who can’t afford a home. 

Revenue will be generated by: 

1. Collaborating with intermediaries through various affordable & sustainable housing projects. 

2. Licensing the green construction technique. 

3. Renting modular houses as a customised service.

Our venture is bootstrapped and along the way, we have been able to raise grants of about $60000 from some prestigious organisations like the Royal Academy of London, Unltd India, Columbia University and Open IDEO. We have also won over 20 awards globally that have filled our journey and given us visibility. Some of the awards are as follows:

1. Leaders in innovation fellowship #LIF (02/2019 - Present)

Royal Academy of Engineering, London

2. German Innovation Award (04/2019 - Present), German design council, Materials & Surfaces category

3. TEDx Speaker (07/2020 - Present), GGDSD, Chandigarh

4. TATA Social enterprise challenge (01/2019), IIM Calcutta, Finalist

5. Moonshot 2040 competition (12/2018), Paris, France, Finalist

6. Entrepreneur of the year award (11/2018), TIE global

7. #Ennovation Award (11/2018), Baden, Switzerland, Winner

8. Urban works innovation challenge (10/2018), Columbia University, Winner

9. Special mention (09/2018), Smart city expo, Jaipur, India, Social impact startup

10. Global Startup acceleration program (08/2018), Samsung GSAP, Winner

11. Indo-German Entrepreneurship pitch (06/2018), Indo German forum, Winner

12. ET power of ideas (02/2018), IIM Ahmedabad, Facebook, Department of Science & Technology, Winner

13. IKEA Democratic Design Challenge (02/2017), Milan design week & IKEA

14. Global South Health and Livelihoods Challenge, Open IDEO, Winner