Minimum Viable Product Definitions/

Tags
Defining
Completion
Deadline

July 29, Saturday

Role
Denis AndriaFelipeKhaled Essam Hosny Ahmed

Point of View Statement

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Ali, a Syrian refugee in the south of Turkey, seeks to integrate permanently within the Turkish nation. To do so, he needs access to housing with proper infrastructure with sufficient resources that could be attained in a self-reliant manner. Many Syrian refugees like him lack access to clean water, electricity, and food (and often get it through reliant measures). He also needs vocational education to allow him to become a breadwinner.

Minimum Viable Product

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We will make a self-reliant refugee center that produces part of its energy and clean water consumption and reduce energy consumption related to cooling/heating activities, serving as a development and housing center.

The simplest version of this product that delivers value and meets the challenges of this POV statement will have these essential features:

Has Resource self-reliance through

A. Water Recirculation through Purification/Collection

  • A water recirculation system, reusing water and putting it through it’s own water cycle on the infrastructural scale.
  • 98% of pee can be turned into water successfully
  • The drainage system recycles water (Shower, sink water is stored and refiltered).
  • Connects to garden sprinklers
  • Rain harvesting (in the mild rains during winters).

B. Energy Generation

  • Solar panels are installed on top of the rooftop of the center. The panel will be equipped with a protection and cleaning contraption to ensure maximum efficiency and Longevity of the solar panel.
  • Biking mechanical energy harvesting (exercise center)- beneficial for both health and contributing to energy

C. Insulation

Regardless of the season, weather conditions on the southern border could be harsh. As they tend to get really cold during winter

Various solutions that can tackle this issue include:

  • Straw Bales —> More adequate for walling
    • Straw is the dried stalks of cereal plants, typically left over after removing grain and chaff. Wheat straw is the most common type of straw, for example.
    • Straw bales can be stacked/stuffed into the inner lining of the walls of the housing units. To do so, these straw bales should be compressed to be sandwiched within the wall. Moreover, depending on the season, they should be compressed densely enough to preserve heat/cold.
    • Straw Bales are readily available from farming land and pastures in southern Turkey.
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  • Adobe Bricks —> More adequate as a flooring material, could be used for the walls as well.
    • They are building bricks made of a mix of sand, straw, clay, and water. The materials needed for the mix are readily available in neighboring cities and farm villages.
    • Adobe Bricks can be a better alternative to use relative to conventional building brick from a cost and dual-functionality perspective.
      • Cost-wise, the materials needed to form these bricks are low compared to other alternatives, i.e. cement building blocks.
      • Moreover, such bricks provide good insulation to the living environment. This is the case regardless of the prevailing weather condition. Because of their physical and chemical properties, they can absorb sun heat all day and release it during nighttime when temperatures tend to get lower, keeping the occupant comfortable inside.
      • The other function fulfilled by Adobe Bricks is structure durability and strength. Due to their composition, these bricks provide the building with better structural integrity.
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D. Garden

  • Create a communal garden that allows the center's residents to grow and harvest freshly grown food. This would not be a self-sufficient solution but would alleviate the burden of sourcing good quality produce during times when subsidies are short on hand.
  • Around the garden, a livestock shelter could also be built, on the long run, to provide various proteins.

E. General structure (Natural energy)

-Increased natural sunlight through glass

-High amounts of greenery, connection to nature

Vocational Education

  • Specialized education for all levels - (elementary, high school, university-type courses but on a smaller scale).

Education facility in the center of housing areas and other amenities facilities.

Increased Self-Dependence

  • Provide centers for Syrians to harness their effort in a useful manner for resources
    • Example: mechanical energy into electric energy through bikes
  • Work opportunities in the center itself- cooking, cleaning, gardening (No need to have external worker salary, increases connectivity within of refugees and gives people basic jobs to do)