Floating for Health: A floating solution for the lack of healthcare facilities in rural flood-prone regions of West Bengal, India

"Floating for Health" is a project of the Architectural Engineering graduation studio at the Delft university of Technology. This research and design project explores the problems of rural flood-prone areas in low-income regions and proposes a solution for the lack of healthcare facilities. The context that has been chosen is the region of West-Bengal in India, which experiences yearly floods during monsoon season. Due to Global warming this region is expected to experience more severe weather events over the next 50 years, this puts an enormous strain on the life of the inhabitants in these low-income rural areas. Flooding events in these regions create polluted water which can easily spread water-borne diseases and the water disrupts infrastructure to access healthcare. The focus of this project is to create a modular solution that is amphibious so local healthcare facilities can be constructed and remain accessible during floods. The proposal is a building system that can be pre-fabricated or fabricated on site and allows for communities to construct their own facility. This plywood building system consists of plywood parts and wedges to minimize the need for specialty tools and precision. The basic building system is designed as a main structure with the possibility of adding facade elements and roofing. These additions allow for local craftsmen to contribute to the design and create a final aesthetic that fits in local tradition. The proposed design is specified for West-Bengal but the basis of the building system could be used for regions all over the world.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science