The Open Ideas National Competition 2025 – Season V on Improving Livability of Small Houses organised by Habitat Forum [INHAF] in partnership with Sustainability Initiatives[SI] seeks to engage practising architects, interior designers, planners, engineers and senior students of these faculties; related Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); Government agencies; Professionals working on slum-upgrading and slum rehabilitation, and others with innovative ideas in developing proposals on Improving the Livability of Small Low-cost Housing. The competition aims to share innovative ideas and solutions with field agencies, both public and private, implementing projects such as PMAY [Pradhan Mantri Aavas Yojna] and other affordable housing schemes with a view to improve the design of the houses being built in our cities.

The Competition also intends covering current and past In-situ Slum Improvements Projects and Slum Rehabilitation Projects to seek ideas on improving project design, planning, financing, and implementation of such projects.

The competition seeks innovative ideas in the challenging domain of designing small houses. It also aims to draw attention and raise awareness that:

1. The inadequate size dictated by affordability constraints could be stretched through innovations in planning, designing, and construction
2. People-centric project planning should include psychological, social, cultural and life-style factors as also the participative/ consultative practice
3. Sustainable aspects of water and energy conservation and waste management should be an integral part of the project design
4. Buildings should add constructively to the larger urban landscape, and
5. Emphasis should also be on the ‘community’ aspects of living

This competition seeks to address the challenges faced in the supply of liveable yet affordable houses in India. Innovations are sought to deliver:

• Better Designed Small Houses
• Better Functioning Buildings with Sustainable Services And Green Building Parameters
• Better Relating Neighbourhoods
• Better Managed Community Spaces To Facilitate Community Living
• Better Functioning Urbanscape

The competition also seeks ideas on making the building bye-laws more realistic and sensitive to the needs of small apartments and low-cost housing. It also asks competition participants to identify and present innovative ideas and solutions created and adopted by residents in their homes to improve liveability. The main emphasis of the competition is on practical, doable, and implementable ideas.