Curry Stone Design Prize 2012: Liter of Light

How to provide a daytime light source for the dwellings in informal settlements? Liter of Light, a plastic soda bottle filled with water on the roof, produced locally for only one dollar, is one of the the five winners of the 2012 Curry Stone Design Prize.

Hundreds of millions of people live in informal settlements worldwide. Many of these chockablock dwellings lack windows or adequate daylighting, and in tropical locales are often made darker by extended roofing favored for protection from rain and hot sun. Residents of informal settlements often resort to kerosene, candles, or inventive wiring for light, risking health and safety in the process. Many simply go without.

Proper electricity is not a common option, especially in the Philippines, which has the highest electricity rates in Asia. Filipino entrepreneur and activist Illac Diaz created Liter of Light to provide informal settlements in his country with a cheap daytime lighting source that can be produced and distributed locally.

The solution is Diaz's figurative "liter of light," a clear plastic soda bottle filled with water and installed in the roof as a skylight. The water refracts the sunlight as it streams through the bottle, dispersing the rays 360 degrees, thereby illuminating the entire room. The recipients of the solar bottle bulbs, who pay about $1 for the bulb and installation, save money on electricity and cut back on the use of kerosene, candles, and other fuels that are responsible for indoor air pollution and fire hazards.

The bulk of the bottles produced by <em>Liter of Light</em> serve individuals under livelihoods programmes promoted by the Phillipines' largest landfills — The bulk of the bottles produced by *Liter of Light* serve individuals under livelihoods programmes promoted by the Phillipines' largest landfills

Liter of Light is not a charity: It provides enough initial supplies and volunteers to generate interest, but its focus is on teaching a community how to manufacture and install the solar bottle bulbs, with the end goal of creating green microbusinesses.

Liter of Light is widely distributing the technical know-how to produce the solar bottle bulbs, and through a combination of social networking, community outreach, open-source sharing, and hands-on building, the organization has placed tens of thousands of these solar bottle bulbs in informal settlements worldwide.

<em>Liter of Light</em> consists of a clear plastic soda bottle filled with water, installed in the roof as a skylight; indoors, it allows for daytime reading and studying — *Liter of Light* consists of a clear plastic soda bottle filled with water, installed in the roof as a skylight; indoors, it allows for daytime reading and studying

The campaign started in the Philippines, but has spread beyond Southeast Asia to India, Nepal, South America, and Africa. To date, the solar bottle bulb has been installed in over 30,000 homes in the Philippines. Around the world, Diaz estimates the number of installations is roughly 110,000. There are small adaptations to the design along the way. "In Nepal they put a little bit of antifreeze in the water so it doesn't expand and contract," said Diaz. "In Africa, in the thatched houses, we tied three plastic bottles together and put a stick in between to attach them to the roof."

Liter of Light has succeeded in creating a highly adaptable solution distributed on an impressive scale

<em>Liter of Light</em> production line in a Manila prison, where millions of bottles are assembled, to then serve the city's poorest areas — *Liter of Light* production line in a Manila prison, where millions of bottles are assembled, to then serve the city's poorest areas

Liter of Light has mastered movement building — making music videos to teach bottle bulb construction, organizing volunteers via Facebook, and holding bicycle rallies to help deliver assembled bulbs to community programs that have attracted hundreds of volunteers and raised funds for the campaign internationally.

With an open-source model, an emphasis on cheap, locally available or scavenged materials, and strong social networks, Liter of Light has succeeded in creating a highly adaptable solution distributed on an impressive scale.

Assembling <em>Liter of Light</em> — Assembling *Liter of Light*

A house turns its back on the road to open up to the landscape

The single-family house project designed by Elena Gianesini engages in a dialogue with the Vicenza landscape, combining tranquility and contemporary style through essential geometries and the Mazzonetto metal roofing.

Sponsored content

Curry Stone Design Prize 2012: Liter of Light

How to provide a daytime light source for the dwellings in informal settlements? Liter of Light, a plastic soda bottle filled with water on the roof, produced locally for only one dollar, is one of the the five winners of the 2012 Curry Stone Design Prize.

The Bathroom becomes an oasis of well-being with Laufen

A house turns its back on the road to open up to the landscape

Latest on News

Latest on Domus