Abstract
In an effort to coordinate the housing schemes from different departments, Government of the Republic of Botswana took a decision to establish Single Housing Authority (SiHA) through a Presidential Cabinet Directive CAB20 (B) 2010 in July 2010. Previously, these schemes were designed and built by the local councils, with the help of the local builders and house owners. A review of the architect designed and contractor-led housing projects under this scheme, demonstrate the shortcomings of a standardized housing design approach and the need to develop a flexible design strategies that can respond to the inevitable changes associated with low-income housing. A qualitative case study research of Self-Help Housing Agency (SHHA)’s built houses was conducted in Mochudi (Botswana) to explore potential strategies of improving the current self-help housing design processes. Using case study examples from Mochudi, a systematic and flexible design framework is suggested as an economically viable approach to improve the quality of self-help housing design processes that reduce costly changes which are associated with the current government-funded housing schemes.
Highlights
In an effort to coordinate the housing schemes from different departments, Government of the Republic of Botswana took a decision to establish Single Housing Authority (SiHA) through a Presidential Cabinet Directive CAB20 (B) 2010 on July 2010 [1]
A qualitative case study research of Self-Help Housing Agency (SHHA)’s built houses was conducted in Mochudi (Botswana) to explore potential strategies of improving the current self-help housing design processes
Using case study examples from Mochudi, a systematic and flexible design framework is suggested as an economically viable approach to improve the quality of self-help housing design processes that reduce costly changes which are associated with the current government-funded housing schemes
Summary
In an effort to coordinate the housing schemes from different departments, Government of the Republic of Botswana took a decision to establish Single Housing Authority (SiHA) through a Presidential Cabinet Directive CAB20 (B) 2010 on July 2010 [1]. SiHA is established under BHC to implement all the housing programmes which are mainly the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHHA) Loan Improvement and Turnkey Loan housing schemes [1]. That means that the government’s decision to transfer SHHA and turnkey housing programmes from the local councils to BHC, effectively took away the autonomy of the self-help housing initiatives. The study has two main aims: firstly to demonstrate the importance of self-help housing as a socially and economically viable model for low-income communities in Botswana and secondly, explores the use of a flexible design framework to improve the quality of design for SiHA’s low-income housing programmes at both local and national levels. In order to address the research aims, the paper will discuss conceptual framework for self-help housing and flexible design. This will form the basis for developing a flexible design framework
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