Here is a section from Leeanne's blog which she talks about the RRR Philosophy.
By Volunteer: Leeanne Marshall
Within the Manav Sadhna Community Centre, construction continues on a new day care wing to care for children within the community whose parents would otherwise have to leave them alone at home while they go and work all day. I have previously written about the inspiration which the Community Centre has given me and everyone working on the Anganwadi Projects, in the way that the designers have continually attempted to try new ideas on recycling and reusing materials. In this new part of the complex this continues to happen in beautiful and surprising ways.
I have been puzzling for some time on how to provide a sturdy, but lightweight shelter to the courtyard of Bholu 5. A shelter which would provide some small relief from the summer sun and monsoon rains, without restricting the light to the space itself or the house behind. We had originally discussed hanging vibrant coloured materials on a lightweight frame, but of course this was not ever going to withstand much time, let alone the heavy monsoon rains. On a recent visit to the Community Centre I found my answer! This colourful and elegant shelter is actually constructed from old saris, sandwiched between a type of reinforced fibreglass material. This innovative use of disused materials is lightweight, but will withstand the elements and will provide a fun and ‘vibrant’ feature to the play area of the children. I can’t wait to see what kinds of fabrics we can utilise and the colourful play on light it will produce.
Another part of the Day Care Centre which has also continued to make us think about the possibilities of material re-use are the large doors which open the ground floor space. Given my obsession with Indian bicycles – I couldn’t help but fall in love with these playful examples of recycling. Elements of the entire bicycle are present in the door – from stiffened chains, to spokes, to frames, to handlebars (actually becoming the functioning door handles). The wheels and parts within the door actually move and respond to touch, giving additional stimulation and opportunities for interaction for the children. I love the idea of using familiar objects in unfamiliar ways and making the architecture of these child focussed spaces fun and unusual – all it needs is a little imagination and the most unexpected things can be given new life.
