Qastic lab’s proposal for affordable housing in Cambodia takes advantage of the local construction techniques, available materials, climate, thus facing the site limitations, sustainability considerations, the energy usage savings and the overall desirable low cost of the project. The structure is a central concrete column that holds the four slab floors of each unit, allowing for maximum and adaptable space usage.
The concept for this affordable housing project took shape around finding answers to two fundamental questions. The first question is how design can control the cost of the construction for the 3000 units of 40 square meters in the tropical and flood hazardous climate of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Secondly, how the cost of living can be controlled in such climate for the factory workers — the building users?
