Modular Homes, Micro-factory, and Housing as a Service

The housing issue is getting worse and more complicated. The household sector contributes 11% of global CO2 emissions because it still relies on fossil fuel power plants to electrify the household. Home appliances and heat generation are the biggest household energy consumption.

In addition, the traditional construction method is inefficient, and lots of waste are generated. Cement as one of the most important materials in home building contributed to 8% of global CO2 emissions. Also, the construction sector contributes to 23% of air pollution. As a result, building & construction contribute 37% of global CO2 emissions. 

Moreover, housing prices increased faster than inflation. Young people and low-income household are difficult to afford a home. Although, 96 thousand affordable houses per day should be built according to UN-Habitat.

We provide 3 main solutions. The first is creating a House as a gadget through modular home development. we create a modular design with lower space, lower emission, and high flexibility. In addition, we design modular homes with built-in renewable energy so those are integrated with personal & communal energy farming (PV Solar, VAWT, & biomass). Also, we develop an IoT energy management which is an IoT smart home for water & energy monitoring systems to control the energy and water output. On the other side, the exterior facade of modular homes is designed to put a vertical farming system, so the users can start planting on their homes without any additional space. The vertical farming system on the wall not only makes the modular homes beautiful but also captures the CO2 in the air.

The second solution is developing Micro-factory with an automated construction system. Micro-factory is the system for industrialization of the construction process with an assembly system through micro-factory to produce high-quality home buildings at a lower cost. A micro-factory system allows applying an off-site construction system to reduce CO2 emission, pollution, and cost of construction. Therefore, the micro-factory system is one of the construction solutions to adapt to the climate crisis.

The third solution is co-housing for sustainable living. We develop housing as a service (HaaS) with a subscription business model, so the users can buy the Huniflex Home and subscribe to live on the housing (horizontal/vertical) anytime anywhere (on-demand living) at a lower price. This solution will help users live in an era of uncertainty. In addition, We develop co-housing with land co-ownership through a crowd-funding scheme towards zero-carbon housing for all.

This solution is developed for students, young people, digital nomads, refugees, disaster victims, or low-income households around the world.

Housing as a Service in modular homes will help users live sustainably in uncertainty. They can buy or rent modular homes and determine the location anywhere anytime through a subscription business model. It helps them to arrange their financial strategy for their future.

In addition, through crowd-funding for zero-carbon housing ownership, the users can invest their money in other users who want to afford Huniflex Modular Home and develop their own housing. Also, we do a land partnership and cooperation with landowners to develop housing in several locations. In addition, the users can buy the Huniflex Home and collaborate with other users such as their colleagues, friends, or families in certain locations to develop their own zero-carbon micro-housing (from users, by users, to users). Through Housing as a Service that we develop, we will help them in the process of construction and development.

Mr. Muhammad Arif Abdurrahman is the founder of this project, Huniflex. He is a practitioner of innovation and business in sustainable living sectors. For more than 3 years, he has been delegating his professional interest to a project of Housing as a Service (HaaS) through modular houses for sustainable living. 

He has been actively participating in tackling climate change through his project. In May 2021, Mr. Arif and his team joined Shell LiveWIRE Energy Solution Program in developing a startup of modular houses to tackle climate change and support energy efficiency within the housing. In December 2021, He wrote a paper about fiscal policy on prefabricated houses for the growth of the housing sector and sustainable living in an unpredictable future, and this paper was selected as one of the best ideas at the Annual International Forum on Economic Development and Public Policy by Indonesian Ministry of Finance. 

In March 2022, through his project startup, Mr. Arif and his team were selected as the finalist of Innovate 2030 SDG 11 for transformative climate action. He helped the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, in collaboration with UNFCCC to tackle climate change through modular houses and sustainable housing. In March 2023, Mr. Arif and his team wrote a paper on the Climate Investment Challenge, about how climate funds can help the innovation of modular houses and its housing development in tackling housing issues and climate change.

Currently, Mr. Arif has been selected as the youth delegation to join The Climate Entrepreneurship Program by AFS Youth Assembly and New York University on August 2023 in New York.

He is still building Huniflex as the founder and CEO. In addition, He is a graduate student of management engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy.  he has been actively participating in tackling climate change through his project of sustainable housing to achieve sustainable living.

Next, the important person behind the energy and engineering of Huniflex is Mr. Fariz Ichsan Habibi. Mr. Fariz is an experienced engineer who has dived into several sectors notably in Manufacturing, Aero Industry, and Renewable Energy. Mr. Fariz and his team participate in Shell Eco-Marathon Asia in building Eco-Friendly Car with bio-ethanol fuels. Also, he participated in Drone competitions and won several competitions in national eco-car competitions.

Mr. Fariz spent 3 years in FMCG Industry, leading a team to tackle factory energy loss issues and improve production systems. Currently, he is a graduate student of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano and focusing his study related to Renewable Energy and Energy Conversion Systems. He also joins a team called Physis to create an energy-efficient boat with PV and hydrogen energy sources for competition in Monaco. In the team, he is involved in developing a new model propeller that can provide faster and more efficiency.

On this occasion, Mr. Fariz helps Huniflex to develop the renewable energy system and production of our solutions.

In 2021, we were the third winner of Shell LiveWIRE Energy Solution. In October 2021, we joined Startup Accelerator for Smart City Vision by Prasetia Ventures and Sinarmas Land. In March 2022, we joined Innovate 2030 SDG 11 by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), and we had been selected as the finalists of this program. In August 2022, we joined Startup Accelerator by Astra International in Indonesia. 

In addition, through our project, in April 2022, we conducted a survey of young people in Indonesia about sustainable living through modular homes and test our 3D prototypes to the potential users about our solutions. The result was, 80% of them were interested and had a high intention in the interior design of the modular homes. Almost 60% of them were interested to live with an on-demand living concept, which is a part of the Housing as a Service (HaaS) that we develop.

We are currently in the prototype stage. In April 2022, we conducted a survey of 151 young people in Indonesia about sustainable living through modular homes and test our 3D prototypes to the potential users about our solutions. The result was, 80% of them were interested and had a high intention in the interior design of the modular homes. Almost 60% of them were interested to live with an on-demand living concept, which is a part of the Housing as a Service (HaaS) that we develop.

We want to be a housing solver. Through this project and this challenge, we want to develop sustainable living through modular homes and zero-carbon micro-housing. There are many barriers that we face in developing this solution, especially in policy and financing. Housing is not just about investment, creating money, or capital gain. Housing is more about human rights, places for our future generation to grow, and spaces for living sustainably without thinking about worries. So, by joining this challenge, we want to connect directly with MIT Solve partners, stakeholders, government, and policymakers in developing this project which is developing modular homes in zero-carbon micro-housing through Housing as a Service.

We create a house as a gadget through modular home development. we create a modular design with lower space, lower emission, and high flexibility. In addition, we design modular homes with built-in renewable energy so those are integrated with personal & communal energy farming (PV Solar, VAWT, & biomass from communal waste). On the other side, the exterior facade of modular homes is designed to put a vertical farming system, so the users can start planting on their homes without any additional space. The vertical farming system on the wall not only makes the modular homes beautiful but also captures the CO2 in the air. In addition, we also provide an external space which is an additional space that can be added separately if the users need extra space. The users can buy whenever they need.

In the sector of construction, we develop a micro-factory with an automated construction system to produce modular homes with lower cost, lower emission, lower pollution, and lower capital expenditure. we collaborate with local communities to provide modular homes with a local design approach, so every micro-factory produces unique designs of modular homes and decorations based on culture and local wisdom.

we develop a new financial model for the users to afford a home. We develop housing as a service (HaaS) with a subscription business model, so the users can buy the Modular Home and subscribe to live on the housing (horizontal/vertical) anytime anywhere at a lower price. In addition, we develop co-housing with land co-ownership through a crowd-funding scheme towards zero-carbon housing for all. In addition, the users can buy the Huniflex Modular Home and collaborate with other users such as their colleagues, friends, or families in certain locations to develop their own zero-carbon micro-housing (from users, by users, to users). Through Housing as a Service that we develop, we help them in the process of construction and development.

The first impact goal (1st year to 2nd year) is to decrease 22% of household energy consumption and 35% of household water consumption by providing zero-carbon modular homes with integrated PV Solar, battery storage, and biomass from communal waste. This impact goal supports SDGs 7, 9, 11, and 13.

The second impact goal (2nd year - 5th year) is to decrease 70% of construction time and 90% of air pollution due to construction by developing a micro-factory. This impact goal supports SDGs 7, 9, and 13.

The third impact goal (3rd year to 5th year) is to provide a new financing solution for our customers (young people, digital nomads, refugees, disaster victims, and low-income households) to afford and live in zero-carbon housing. This impact goal supports SDGs 1, 3, 11, and 13.

We apply a design thinking process to measure and implement our solutions. We collect the pain points of housing and living issues in our targeted customers. We create the initial solutions and test them for potential customers. Through this testing, we collect suggestions and new feedback to provide better solutions.

The theory of change for achieving net-zero housing through modular homes involves the following steps:

1. Producing sustainable modular homes: The first step is to design and manufacture modular homes that are sustainable and energy-efficient. This can be achieved through a range of strategies, such as: Using HPL & Bamboo materials, Integrating modular homes with PV Solar, VAWT, and Biomass from communal waste.

2. Developing sustainable construction: The second step is to develop sustainable construction practices that minimize waste and environmental impact through micro-factory. This can be achieved through a range of strategies, such as: developing micro-factory in several locations to serve the market. Implementing local culture, local labor, and local materials.

3. Providing sustainable financing: The third step is to provide sustainable financing options that make net-zero modular homes accessible and affordable for a wider range of buyers. This can be achieved through a range of strategies, such as providing a housing as a service (HaaS) business model.

The technology behind the Huniflex modular homes,

1. IoT Home Appliances.

2. Energy Management Systems (EMS)

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): to analyze data from sensors and home appliances, making it possible to automate certain tasks and optimize the performance of different systems.

4. Renewable Energy System: Integrated PV Solar Panel and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Battery Storage.

The technology behind the Huniflex micro-factory system,

1. Building Information Modeling (BIM).

2. Robotic Assembly: Robotic arms can be used to automate the assembly of modular home components, such as wall panels, roofs, and floors.

3. Lean Manufacturing: to emphasize efficiency and waste reduction.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI): to analyze data from market demand, sales, and forecasting to provide new solutions and products.

The technology behind the Huniflex Net Zero Micro Housing,

1. Biomass Energy System. Converting communal waste to be energy for heating.

2. Energy Management Systems (EMS). Integrating communal energy farming with Huniflex Modular Home, Communal Battery Storage, and On-grid Electricity System.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): to analyze data from customer behavior, market demand, sales, and forecasting to provide new solutions and services (including financial solutions).

We support diversity and inclusivity in our team.

We start our business ecosystem from the rental houses, a business model to introduce the concept of sustainable living in Huniflex through the rent housing sector by paying monthly or annually. We collaborate with landownership (profit sharing) to provide housing in various locations to put modular homes on it, both in urban and suburban areas.

In the next business model development, we develop Housing as a Service (HaaS) through a subscription business model. By paying monthly or annually, the customers can choose and move from one housing to another.

At the same time, we produce Modular Homes through micro-factories to be sold to customers (B2B2C). In addition, we provide various products of interior-set, furniture, and home decorations, so the users can personalize their homes as they need.

In connection with Modular Home sales and Housing as a Service, the customers who buy the Huniflex Home can put the modular homes on the housing that we provide anywhere anytime (with a subscription model).

Within the housing, we provide various living services to support their life such as a co-working space, gym, cleaning service, career acceleration, and others.

Also, through Housing as a Service, we provide on-demand housing development, so the users can collaborate with other users (friends, families, colleagues) to propose zero-carbon housing on a small scale to live together (co-housing) with a co-ownership model.

In addition, we provide a crowd-funding model (from users, by users, to users) to afford modular homes and live in net zero housing. This financing model will make potential users can living sustainably in our modular homes and our zero-carbon housing. This financing model is developed towards zero-carbon housing for all.

We provide both products and services through modular home production and Housing as a Service that are focused on users. We develop financial solutions for housing that we call from users, by users, to users, for becoming financially sustainable. We do land partnerships with landowners to develop the housing, so we can decrease the development risk. Also, we do a joint-ventures in developing micro-factories for the production of modular homes, interior-set, furniture, and home decorations.

Currently, we are in the prototype stage and still trying to approach the market through bootstrapping.