Essential Homes Research Project | 2023

Architects: Holcim in partnership with the Norman Foster Foundation
Design Team: The Norman Foster Foundation
Client: Holcim Group Services Ltd.
Photographers: Chiara Becattini and Mika Cartier

Essential Homes Research Project by Holcim and the Norman Foster Foundation The Essential Homes Research Project is a prototype home presented during the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the Time Space Existence exhibition, aimed at showcasing architectural and material solutions to provide sustainable, secure, and affordable housing for all.

It comprises a housing prototype designed by Norman Foster to meet essential human needs, including safety, comfort, and well-being. Primarily aimed at addressing the issues facing the 103 million displaced people, of which 1 out of 3 are children, the project also has the potential to benefit the further 1.6 billion people currently living in inadequate accommodation worldwide. The prototype is the result of a pioneering partnership between Holcim, an innovative and sustainable materials solutions supplier, and the Norman Foster Foundation.

Norman Foster led the design of the housing concept, addressing the fact that displaced families often live in substandard ‘temporary’ settlements for periods, often stretching to decades. Holcim brought the project to life with a range of sustainable building solutions, making it low-carbon, energy-efficient and circular.

A comparison of the prototype with an equivalent brick-and-mortar house, based on a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment, shows significant sustainability benefits: the prototype has a carbon footprint of 5,9 tons of CO2 compared to 19,9 tons of CO2 for a regular house - a difference of almost 70%.

The project includes a range of sustainable building solutions, including: • Low-carbon rollable concrete sheets serving as an external shell, providing physical safety. • Permeable pathways made of low-carbon concrete connecting the homes, including light-absorbing aggregates reflecting natural light at night, reducing energy use and light pollution. • Energy-efficient insulation systems from boards to low-carbon aerated concrete foam to ensure thermal and acoustic comfort. • Foundations made of recycled construction aggregate materials, further driving circular construction.

Construction and affordability were key issues addressed in the project. The materials cost of a fully equipped 54 square metre home is estimated at 20,000 Euros. The design is modular, based on an adaptable process, meaning that homes can be easily produced and expanded according to need. Circular by design each modular component of the Essential Home can be reused or recycled.

The Essential Homes Research Project opens a fundamental conversation about how to make sustainable building possible for all. The project is presented as a conversation starter on how we could build Homes rather than Shelters, and Communities rather than Camps. Overall, Essential Home places sustainability at the heart of housing innovation.