The Home Kit: A Modular Dwelling That Grows with the Family

What if a house could behave like a living organism, adding new cells as the family it shelters changes shape? The Home Kit takes that question seriously, proposing a knock-down kit system for lower-middle-income families in cities like Dhaka and Kolkata. Built around a flexible steel frame, the design lets residents assemble a core dwelling first, then bolt on new modules for work, leisure, and additional bedrooms as finances and family size allow. The analogy driving the concept is Conway's Game of Life: each generational shift triggers new spatial configurations without dismantling what already exists.

Designed by Asif Zeshan and Eftey Islam, the project was shortlisted in the Nano Nest 2020 competition on uni.xyz. Sized for a joint family of six spanning three generations, it tackles a condition common across South Asian cities: scarce urban land, multi-generational households, and the near impossibility of securing large construction loans all at once. The response is a phased, prefabricated system that treats the house as an ongoing project rather than a finished product.

Steel Skeleton, Local Skin

The opening presentation board lays out the logic clearly. An isometric drawing of the multi-storey dwelling reveals the steel frame as the permanent armature, while jute boards and bamboo panels serve as the replaceable enclosure. Because these infill materials are locally sourced, they keep costs low, support regional economies, and can be swapped out when they wear down without touching the structure. Assembly diagrams on the same board walk through the sequencing: core unit first, then successive modules clipped into the frame grid.

Floor plans accompanying the isometric show how generational zoning works in section. Elders occupy the levels closest to ground-level services, working adults sit near integrated workshop modules, and younger family members get access to more recreational zones higher up. The result is a vertical neighbourhood within a single household, each floor tuned to a different daily rhythm.

Cross Ventilation and Vertical Wind Tunnels

Three isometric sectional views on the second board expose the environmental strategy. North-south cross ventilation channels run through every habitable floor, while vertical wind tunnels pull hot air upward and out. Diffused light panels line the facades, moderating glare without blocking daylight. For a tropical climate where mechanical cooling is an ongoing expense, these passive measures are not aesthetic choices; they are economic necessities.

Structural assembly details on the same sheet clarify how new modules latch onto the steel grid. The connection system is deliberately simple, designed so that residents themselves can participate in construction rather than relying entirely on specialized labour. This hands-on assembly model reinforces the broader argument: affordable housing works best when it distributes agency, not just square metres.

Elevation as Evidence

The final board pairs a front elevation with a sectional isometric that cuts through the interior across multiple floors. Here, the sustainability systems become visible: retractable rainwater catchers at the roofline, OPV solar panels integrated into the shaded facade, and a rooftop garden that doubles as a communal gathering space. These are not add-ons; they are embedded in the frame from the outset, so that even the earliest phase of construction includes provisions for water collection and energy generation.

Shared amenities, including a workshop zone and a study area, appear in the section as connective tissue between private rooms. The modular workshop is particularly interesting: it supports home-based businesses, effectively merging living and earning within the same structure. For families who currently work out of cramped rooms, this spatial provision could translate directly into higher household income.

Why This Project Matters

Incremental housing is not a new idea, but The Home Kit refines it with a clear material logic and a genuine understanding of its users. By anchoring everything to a standardized steel frame and filling it with regionally available panels, Zeshan and Islam sidestep the two traps that derail most affordable housing proposals: dependence on expensive proprietary systems and designs that assume a family's needs are fixed. The phased construction model means a family can start small, avoid displacement from their existing plot, and build equity over time without a crushing initial investment.

What elevates the project beyond pragmatism is its attention to collective life. Generational zoning, shared gardens, and integrated workspaces acknowledge that in cities like Dhaka and Kolkata, a house is not just shelter; it is an economic unit, a social institution, and an intergenerational contract. The Home Kit proposes architecture that can honour all three roles simultaneously, growing alongside the family it serves.

View the Full Project

About the Designers

Designers: Asif Zeshan, Eftey Islam

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Project credits: The Home Kit by Asif Zeshan, Eftey Islam Nano Nest 2020 (uni.xyz).