The site consisted of a coconut plantation with 452 trees, in which the task was to plan and construct 130 houses. The primary goal was to develop a sustainable settlement while keeping all the trees. The plot was divided in the middle by a slight depression in the terrain. This was converted to the only access road to the settlement adjacent in which several parking bays were created. The goal was to limit vehicular access to the primary pathway and keep the rest of the site pedestrian friendly.
The imaginary grid formed by the coconut trees was used as the guidelines and the housing units were arranged in clusters, adjacent to the parking areas, between the trees in a rhythmic pattern. The houses were built with rammed earth walls. Solar energy, rainwater harvesting, biogas plant, and waste management were integrated into this sustainable design.
A feeling of living in a forest with houses under the canopies of trees, looking out into nature was created in this project. The result of this was that children and families had several playgrounds, meeting places, which were car-free. Each cluster had its own identity, created by irregular plots, achieving a high standard of living.
