LOW COST HOUSING PROJECT PROGRAMME

Total Planning area: 8,673.158m2 (2.143 Acres)

Target group of people: Low Income earning community

Total estimated Population: 400 – 600 people

Estimated Income per Day: 20,000/ on average

Average number of people per household: 6 people

State of Housing Facilities: Temporary structures and make-shifts

Common Materials used:

 Burnt and Un-burnt clay bricks

 Mud and wattle in some parts
 Corrugated iron sheets
 Timber/Wood etc

Challenges Being Faced by the Community:

 Serious Drainage problems

 Housing/Accommodation facilities
 Poor state of infrastructure available
 Unplanned developments
 Access and Accessibility – mainly within the housing facilities
 Poor sanitation
 Encroachment of wetlands by the community

Possible solutions to the above problems

 Improvement on the drainage system

 Planned developments of the area
 Improvement on the state of infrastructure
 Improvement in the conservation practices
 Better and affordable housing facilities

OPPORTUNITIES

 Availability of the already reclaimed land area

 Existing infrast ructures like roads, railway line, market, landing site, the port etc
  Availability of supporting services like water, electricity, telecommunication, the
rich neighborhood etc.

PROGRAMMING STEPS:

PROJECT TITLE: Low Cost Housing

Goal:

To provide a low cost housing/accommodation facilities for the existing community

compatible with the overall revitalization program of the Port (Port Bell).

Objectives:

 To provide cheaper and better housing facilities for the current community.
 To provide a planned community compatible with the overall revitalization
program of the port.
 To plan, conserve and maintain the environment in and around the port.
 To maintain the cultural heritage of the area.

Concept:

The five steps approach to the design pose are questions:

Facts
What do we know? What is given?

Concepts
How does the client want to achieve the goals?

Needs
How much money and space? What level of quality?

Problem
What are the significant conditions affecting the design of the building? What are the
general directions the design should take?

PROJECTOBJECTIVE:
CONSIDERATIONS

INFORMATION INDEX
 \

TWO PHASE PROCESS

It is critical to understand the difference between programmatic concepts and
design concepts, which is very difficult for some people to grasp.

Programmatic concepts refer to abstract ideas intended mainly as functional solutions to

clients’ performance problems without regard to the physical response. On the other
hand, design concepts refer to concrete ideas intended as physical solutions to clients’
architectural problems, this being the physical response.

The key to comprehension is that programmatic concepts relate to performance

problems and design concepts relate to architectural problems.

The difference between programmatic concepts and design concepts is illustrated in

these examples: convertibility is a programmatic concept; a corresponding design
concept is a folding door. Shelter is a programmatic concept; a corresponding design
concept is a roof.

APPROACH TO DESIGN

Priority
The concept of priority evokes questions regarding the order of importance, such as
relative position, size, and social value. This concept reflects how to accomplish a goal
based on a ranking of values. For example, “To place a higher value on pedestrian
traffic than on vehicular traffic ” may relate to the precedence in traffic flow.

Hierarchy
The concept of hierarchy is related to a goal about the exercise of authority and is
expressed in symbols of authority. For example, the goal “to maintain the traditional
hierarchy of military rank” may be implemented by the concept of a hierarchy of office
sizes.

Character
The concept of character is based on a goal concerning the image the client wants to
project in terms of values and the generic nature of the project.

Density
A goal for efficient land or space use, a goal for high degrees of interaction, or a goal to
respond to harsh climatic conditions may lead to the appropriate degree of density—
low, medium, or high density.

Service Grouping
Should services be centralized of decentralized? Test the many services as being
best centralized or best decentralized.
Should the heating system be centralized or decentralized? The library? And dining?
And storage? And many other services? Evaluate the gains and risks to simulate client
decisions. But remember each distinct service will be centralized or decentralized for a
definite reason— to implement a specific goal.

Activity Grouping
Should activities be integrated or compartmentalized? A family of closely related
activities would indicate integration to promote interaction, while the need for some
kinds and degrees of privacy or security would indicate compartmentalization.

People Grouping
Look for concepts derived from the physical, social, and emotional characteristics of
people— as individuals, in small groups, and in large groups. If a client wants to
preserve the identity of individuals while in a large mass of people, ask what size
grouping would implement this goal. Look to the functional organization and not to the
organizational chart, which merely indicates pecking order.

8. Home Base
Home base is related to the idea of territoriality— an easily defined place where a
person can maintain his or her individuality. While this concept applies to a wide range
of functional settings— for example, a high school or manufacturing plant— recently,
many organizations have recommended new settings for office work. These officing
concepts are described in the following pages as on -premise or off-premise work
settings

Communications
A goal to promote the effective exchange of information or ideas in an organization may
call for networks or patterns of communication: Who communicates with whom?
How? How often?

Neighbors
Is there a goal for sociability? Will the project be completely independent or is there a
mutual desire to be interdependent, to cooperate with neighbors?
Accessibility
Can first-time visitors find where to enter the project? The concept of accessibility also
applies to provisions for the handicapped beyond signs and symbols. Do we need
single or multiple entrances?

Separated Flow
A goal for segregation may relate to people (such as prisoners and public), to
automobiles (such as campus traffic and urban traffic), and to people and automobiles
(such as pedestrian traffic and automobile traffic). For example, separate traffic
lanes with barriers, such as walls, separate floors, and space.
Mixed Flow
Common social spaces, such as town squares or building lobbies, are designed for
multidirectional, multi-purpose traffic— or mixed flow. This concept may be
apropos if the goal is to promote chance and planned encounters.\

Sequential Flow
The progression of people (as in a museum) and things (as in a factory) must be
carefully planned. A flow-chart diagram will communicate this concept of sequential
flow much easier than words will.

Orientation
Provide a bearing— a point of reference within a building, a campus, or a city.
Relating periodically to a space, thing, or structure can prevent a feeling of being lost.

Flexibility
The concept of flexibility is quite often misunderstood. To some, it means that the
building can accommodate growth through expansion. To others, it means that the
building can allow for changes in function through the conversion of spaces. To still
others, it means that the building provides the most for the money through multi -
function spaces. Actually, flexibility covers all three— expansibility, convertibility,
and versatility.

Tolerance
This concept may well add space to the program. Is a particular space tailored
precisely for a static activity, or is it provided with a loose fit for a dynamic activity—
one likely to change?

Safety
Which major ideas will implement the goal for life safety? Look to codes and safety
precautions for form-giving ideas.

Security Controls
The degree of security control varies depending upon the value of the potential loss—
minimum, medium, or maximum.
These controls are used to protect property and to guide personnel movement.
Energy Conservation
There are two general ways to lead to energy -efficient buildings:
(a) keep heated area to a minimum by making use of conditioned, but non-heated,
outside space, such as exterior corridors; and
(b) keep heat-flow to a minimum with insulation, correct orientation to sun and
wind, compactness, sun controls, wind controls, and reflective surfaces.

Environmental Controls
What controls for air temperature, light, and sound will be required to provide for
people comfort inside and outside the building? Look to the climate and sun angle
analysis for answers.
Determine Needs
Few clients have enough money to do all the things they want to do. Therefore,
distinguishing needs from wants is important. What the rich man considers a necessity,
the poor man thinks a luxury.

Thus, judgments on the quality and adequacy of space are difficult to make. It is also
difficult to identify real needs . The client usually wants more than he or she can afford.
So the client and the architect must agree on a quality level of construction and on a
definite space program relating to funds available at a specific time.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS:

Estimated Number of People: 400-600

Number of Units = 400 + 600 = 1000/2 = 500

= 500/6

= 83 units

Composition of Units:

 Studio
 1 bedroomed Units
 2 bedroomed Units
 3 bedroomed Units
 4 bedroomed Units

Other Planning Areas

 Children’s play ground

 Common Meeting area (Outdoor)
 Management Area, offices etc.

Typical Unit compositions:

 Master Bedroom & Other Bedrooms = 9.0 - 12 m2

 Living Room = 16 – 20m2
 Dining Room = 8.5 – 9m2
 Kitchen = 6.25 – 7.5m2
 Bathrooms = 3.6 – 4 m2
 Stores = 3.6 – 4 m2
 WC/SHOs = 3.0 – 3.2m2