Low-cost Housing Research Articles

The Circular Economy, Big Data Analytics, and the Transformation of Urban Slums in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing growth in the number of people living in poverty, and the situation is worsening due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities are increasingly under stress because of urbanization and the demand for low-cost housing. Slum dwellers face daunting social, environmental, and economic challenges. Geospatial analysis of remote sensing, demographic, economic, social, and environmental data is being used to delineate slums. The application of circular economy guidelines for an intelligent transformation of slums combines technical and social innovation that reaches beyond the slums to the whole urban ecosystem. Examples of contributions to the circular economy are provided. Finally, some ideas are introduced on how the internet of things can improve access to goods and services and strengthen interconnectedness through the ability to participate more readily in the social dialogue of the city. The city of Accra in Ghana, West Africa, is discussed as a potential slum city to functional intelligent city transformation.

Compressed Stabilized Earthen Blocks and Their Use in Low-Cost Social Housing

Earthen techniques have been historically used in construction of housing in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the past two decades the interest in earthen material has grown considerably, leading to the development of sustainable materials such as compressed earth blocks (CEB), compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) and interlocking stabilized soil blocks (ISSB). Scientific publications from various countries and context have examined the physical aspects of these earthen building materials, but so far, the results are not well connected to housing practices for and by low-income households with their self-organizing skills. This research sought to close this gap by documenting the housing projects where earth blocks are applied in participatory social housing. The study provides an overview of relevant practical examples from the three world regions (Africa, Asia and Latin America), with their cultural and climatic differences, and an analysis of similarities and possibilities. Based on the lessons learned from these examples, recommendations are made on further research on sustainable building materials within social housing practices, which can benefit the scientific community. We propose to set up a worldwide database of housing projects where earthen techniques have been applied responsibly. We conclude and recommend that more high-quality pilot projects with CSEB and ISSB are needed to get a broader picture on the potential of these materials for social housing, and the necessary support for local communities wishing to be involved in these sustainable housing practices.

THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND EXPRESSION OF EXTERIOR/INTERIOR FINISHES IN THE WOODEN HOUSES DESIGNED BY TSUCHIURA KAMEKI BEFORE WWII

This paper analyzes the construction method and expression of exterior and interior finishes in the houses designed by Tsuchiura Kameki before WWII. Tsuchiura proposed a wooden dry construction system in the 1930s as a low-cost modern urban housing model and applied new materials such as slate board and fiberboard. In many houses, Tsuchiura painted the exterior white to make the joints unobtrusive impression and painted the interior in pale colors to soften the walls as the background of living space. Such exterior and interior presence are unique compared to other architect's dry construction houses.

The Nexus Between Tourism and Migration: Case of Didim

This research aims to reveal the reasons for tourism-based migration to Didim. To achieve this, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data between July 14 - August 21, 2017 / January 10 - January 24, 2018 / March 02 - March 16, 2018, with 42 participants. Participants were determined by criterion sampling. The data were subjected to thematic analysis through MAXQDA, and five main themes were determined. As a result of the analyses, the causes of tourism-related migrations were found to be five categories which are related to economic, social, natural environmental, political, and legal regulations regarding foreigners. The sub-categories depending on these main categories are economical causes including the development of the tourism industry, development of building trade, entrepreneurship-investment-employment opportunities, low-cost housing, and land opportunities, and low living costs; social causes, which are migrants, to escape from disorder, liberal environment, and ties with friends and family. This research revealed that the most significant reason for tourism-related migrations in Didim is the lifestyle migrations that have taken place after the legal regulations for foreigners and the domestic migrations accordingly.

Effect of partial cement replacement with sugarcane bagasse ash

Research into mixing and replacing the component ingredients of concrete has become necessary since there is a widespread need in most parts of the globe for more affordable housing and the discovery of an alternative to standard Portland cement. Despite the fact that a great number of investigations have been carried out to evaluate the viability of combining cement with sugarcane bagasse ash and sand with laterite soil, no research has been conducted on the influence that combining the two materials has on the characteristics of concrete. This study presents the findings on the strengths, permeability, and structural behaviour of concrete beams containing sugarcane bagasse ash and laterite soil. The goal of the research was to combine traditional concrete with sugarcane bagasse ash to produce sugarcane bagasse ash laterised concrete, which could be used for the construction of low-cost housing. Ash from sugarcane bagasse and lateritic soil were used as blenders and blended with regular concrete materials. Cement was largely replaced with sugarcane bagasse ash in the following proportions by mass: 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. The impact of different degrees of material substitution on the workability and compressive strength of concrete was investigated using a concrete mixture with the proportions 1:2:4 and a water-to-cement ratio of 0.55. The same mixture was utilised, but this time with a continuous slump of 30mm+3mm. This was done in order to assess the influence of different degrees of combination material replacement on the characteristics of concrete and the behaviour of structural beams.

A comparison of low-cost housing units for varying climatic regions in South Africa: a knowledge management approach

PurposeOne of the greatest challenges faced by the 1994 post-apartheid government in South Africa is the housing problem that has persisted for almost 30 years into democracy. Innovation in research and practice is required to address this problem. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents an argument for housing knowledge management as one part of a much larger system of housing provision and critically compares information variations on one hypothetical, low-cost housing unit adapted for varying climatic regions. It aims to enquire if there is an overlap in information.FindingsThe findings do confirm a noteworthy overlap in the information of the varying units. Therefore, knowledge management of the information would prove effective and may contribute in part to housing provision.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to assessing the information changes made to the contract documentation of the housing unit.Social implicationsThe paper argues that knowledge management of this overlapping information could impact housing provision by providing knowledge power to those affected by the housing problem.Originality/valueThe findings are a unique perspective presented through a knowledge management lens. In addition, the said knowledge management lens provides a platform to raise additional questions. When seeking answers to these questions, it is expected that research sub-themes would be identified focussing further research studies towards finding answers.

Leakages in affordable housing delivery: threat to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11

PurposeThe increasing growth of urbanisation, especially in developing countries, coupled with affordable housing leakages, may thwart achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 (sustainable cities and communities). Studies regarding affordable housing leakages and their aftermath to Goal 11 in one study are scarce in Malaysia. The study investigated Malaysia's low-cost housing (LCH) leakages and their aftermath to Goal 11 and proffered measures to achieving Goal 11 and its targets. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers covered four of Malaysia's major cities via a qualitative approach. The study used 40 participants via semi-structured virtual interviews, and saturation was achieved. The study adopted a thematic approach for the collected data and honed them with secondary sources.FindingsFindings group Malaysia's LCH leakages into government/agencies/departments in housing, housing developers/building contractors and client/building owners' root causes in Malaysia's context. It shows a threat from Malaysia's LCH leakages to achieving Goal 11 and proffered measures to enhance achieving Goal 11. Achieving Goal 11 will strengthen and improve Malaysia's many SDGs accomplishments because of their link.Originality/valueApart from proffering measures to mitigate long-standing issues (leakages) in Malaysia's LCH delivery from achieving Goal 11, findings will stipulate the accomplishment of other SDGs related to housing delivery.

The Influences of Socio-Cultural Characteristics on Public Low-Cost Residents’ Satisfaction: A Case Study on PPR Seri Aman Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The development of housing often needed to be considered both economic and socio- cultural elements. Certain variables, such as residents' experience and socio-cultural backgrounds, have influenced how people perceive their living environment. Past researchers have highlighted several issues associated with low-cost housing and showed that Malaysia's housing policies still failed to provide a comfortable living area for the low- cost income group. Moreover, previous studies mainly focused on the residents' demographic characteristics as the influential factors. Therefore, this paper tries to fill this gap by (i) identify the socio-cultural characteristics of residents (ii) analyse the relationship between residents’ satisfaction and their socio-cultural characteristics. This is important since the study related to this aspect remains insufficient and their characteristics might affect the level of satisfaction of residents in terms of housing necessity. Based on the purposive sampling, the low-cost housing residents were selected. A questionnaire survey has been conducted on 93 residents of PPR Seri Aman in Kuala Lumpur and the data was analyzed using factor analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis. Findings from the study revealed that the residents were fairly satisfied with the dwelling unit features and neighborhood facilities. The low level of satisfaction among residents was heavily influenced by the yard, kitchen, dining space, parking available, sidewalks and connectivity of paths, traffic nearby, and the distance to take public transport. Further suggestions or recommendations are proposed to improve these situations or to help for future development planning.

VALUE STREAM MAPPING FOR WASTE IDENTIFICATION IN THE LOW COST HOUSE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS (CASE STUDY: XYZ HOUSING

XYZ housing is a low cost housing created by developers with low-income individuals in mind. However, a lot of individuals bemoan the state of their houses because of flaws like leaks, peeling paint, and other issues. This is unquestionably connected to the way the contractor handled the construction process. When there are signs of waste, particularly when there are delays and waste inventories, it is possible that there will also be additional sorts of waste throughout implementation. By employing the value stream mapping method, this study seeks to both detect and simultaneously minimize or eliminate waste that happens during the construction of affordable homes. Two key tasks are completed: creating an overview of the current state map, which represents the state of the development process currently, and offering solutions and suggestions for improvement given as a future state map.

"My life will be much better than before": a qualitative study on the relationship between renewal of public housing, quality of life, and health

The objective was to understand the link between housing, health and quality of life in a context of social housing regeneration, through the experiences and perceptions of its inhabitants, exploring the mechanisms that sustain this link before regeneration, and those elements derived from housing regeneration that result in improvements in quality of life and potentially in health. Between 1980 and the 2000s, Chile faced a massive quantitative housing deficit through a policy that delivered more than 120,000 low-cost social housing apartments. Today, thousands present severe habitability problems, generating negative consequences for their inhabitants, their health and well-being. Seeking to solve the deterioration of housing and neighborhoods, the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism developed the Housing Complex Regeneration Program. The RUCAS project seeks to evaluate the effects of the program on health and to assess the impact of interventions such as these on vulnerable populations in Latin America. We present results of 8 interviews and 2 focus groups conducted in a social housing complex in process of intervention in Viña del Mar. Using discursive content analysis, results show that the poor material quality of housing is perceived as harmful to health. Regenerated housing, on the other hand, promotes the recovery and re-appropriation of spaces and their uses, sociability, new healthy practices, positive feelings and psychological well-being, bringing to the fore the psychosocial component of people's relationship with their house. It is concluded that housing regeneration has the potential to benefit physical and mental health through both direct mechanisms, derived from the renovated materiality, and indirect mechanisms related to the practices and experiences of the lived space.

Access to Decent Housing in Congolese Urban Areas: Evolution of Associated Factors between 2005 and 2016

The proportion of decent housing found from the data of the 1-2-3/2012 DR Congo survey in urban areas is 7.8%. This situation prompted us to conduct a study on the evolution of factors associated with access to decent housing in urban areas of the DR Congo, based on data from the 1-2-3/2005, 1-2-3/2012 and E-QUIBB/2016 surveys, in order to identify the factors that are determining over time over these three periods. Our specific objectives are to indicate the proportion of decent housing in urban areas of the DR Congo from 2005 to 2016, to find the factors associated with access to decent housing in urban areas of the DR Congo over the three periods, and to study the evolution of these associated factors. In 2005, 2012 and 2016, the proportions of decent housing in urban areas of the country were respectively 4.1%, 9% and 12.3% respectively. The associated factors (in relation to the head of the household) acting over the three periods are: province of residence, socio-professional category, age, housing occupation status, education and gender. These six determinants all evolved over time, resulting in an overall increase in decent housing of about 8%. These results showed that in DR Congo there is not enough investment in housing. Thus, investment by the State and other partners in the construction of low-cost housing, and the facilitation of land and property loans and investment loans, will enable vulnerable social groups, such as young people of both sexes throughout the country, to have easier access to decent housing.

The Walkability of Alvalade Neighbourhood for Young People: An Agent-based Model of Daily Commutes to School

The Alvalade neighbourhood in Lisbon, Portugal, was built in the mid-XX century as low-cost housing for workers, but it has become inhabited by the middle and upper classes. The neighbourhood is home to a large population of young people, including children and teenagers who attend the schools located in the area. We present an agent-based model which aims to investigate the walkability of the neighbourhood for these young people, focusing on the mobility patterns of children and teenagers as they navigate their daily routines of going to school. We simulate the pedestrian movement of these young people, considering factors such as the availability of sidewalks, crosswalks, distance to schools, and the presence of other amenities. Our research reveals the mobility patterns emerging in this area and compares them across the different schools in the area. These results inform both urban policies and interventions that promote safe and accessible routes to school.

Unveiling the Dynamics of Residential Satisfaction in Surat's Low-Cost Housing Communities

Unveiling the Dynamics of Residential Satisfaction in Surat's Low-Cost Housing Communities

Five Aesthetics of the Global Development Industry: Building Low-Cost Housing in Rwanda

Five Aesthetics of the Global Development Industry: Building Low-Cost Housing in Rwanda

Alternative stabilisation method for unfired earth blocks

Clayey soils have been used in the construction of buildings since ancient times. It reduces the building’s ecological footprint while improving thermal comfort. Soil is a local material that helps people in temperate regions cope with harsh environmental conditions such as high temperatures. The performance of such materials is determined by the soil’s chemical composition and physical properties. The main issue with these materials is their high shrink sensitivity and tendency to crack during drying. These pathologies can result in fundamental mechanical performance degradation. The purpose of this work is to investigate various scenarios for the stabilization of compacted soil blocks.In this context, this research investigates the use of alternatives to cement for the stabilization of earth blocks. Sample blocks were constructed using varying concentrations of stabilization materials. The samples’ mechanical strengths were assessed. Simultaneously, materials will be compared in terms of ease of manufacture, and financial cost. The mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength) of stabilized earth blocks shows that the developed mix outperforms the traditional masonry concrete block. The results of this study show that stabilized earth blocks are gaining their place as a viable, sustainable, affordable building material suitable for low-cost housing construction.

The design of a rural house in Bushbuckridge, South Africa: An Open Building interpretation

This qualitative study argues that occupant involvement in housing design and construction process should lead to more appropriate buildings that can sustain their usefulness with minimal changes. It documents the design of a house in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa that uses Open Building (OB) principles so that the house adapts to the changing needs of the family and maintains its intergenerational value.
 This project centres the occupant in the design and construction process and considers the house flexible and conceived by many authors. Based on this worldview, we use the following tools: a literature review on OB, an OB analysis of low-cost housing, and analysis of the design project.
 We compare low-cost housing projects using four OB principles: how the project involves the occupant’s agency to build; how the project separates its elements to facilitate this agency; whether the project focuses on providing a housing product, or a housing process; and, how sustainably the delivered structure can accommodate the occupant’s current and future construction.
 The paper illustrates these OB principles in the design of a low-cost, rural house project in Bushbuckridge to show that they also have value for the architecture at a small scale, and how a house can be designed to ensure that it adapts to the changing needs and creativity of the occupant.
 The paper concludes with the implications that OB principles have for the design process. The process no longer consists of a simple sequence that separated design and construction and ends with a housing product. Rather, the design and construction focus on delivering a building process that the occupant can take ownership of a sustain intergenerationally.

Enhancing sustainability of polypropylene band and bamboo-reinforced structural elements for rural low cost housing

Enhancing sustainability of polypropylene band and bamboo-reinforced structural elements for rural low cost housing

An Experimental Analysis on Ferrocement,Widely Used in Lighter, Low Cost Housing, and Insulation Projects

An Experimental Analysis on Ferrocement,Widely Used in Lighter, Low Cost Housing, and Insulation Projects

Capturing the Low-Cost Housing Residents’ Sustainable Practices in Urban Area: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Policy Effectiveness

Globally, solid waste has contributed to environmental issues in many nations. Malaysia likewise one of the countries which has had trouble managing its solid waste since landfills are often used to dispose of garbage in Malaysia. People who live in low-cost apartments in Kuala Lumpur are frequently stereotyped as being preoccupied with the problem of garbage collection. It is commonly seen that low-income communities are more likely to engage in environmentally damaging garbage disposal practices. Looking at the households in low-income flats, notably those in Flat Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Sri Pantai, will provide useful insight into the factors that motivate people to recycle. This study employs the hypotheses study to test the moderating effects on the relationship between independent variables (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and moral norms) and dependent variable (recycling intentions). 125 households of Flat PPR Sri Pantai, Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur were surveyed for this study. Among four hypotheses, the perceived policy effectiveness only has moderating effects on subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and moral norms.

Analysis of Mass Housing and Social Housing Production in the Context of Globalization: Examples from Around the World And Turkey

Sanayileşme, hızlı kentleşme, nüfus artışı, dünya savaşları ve çatışmalar sonrasında gerçekleşen zorunlu göçler gibi sebepler sonucunda toplumlardaki alt gelir gruplarının konut ihtiyaçlarını karşılayamaması, devletlerin toplu konut ve sosyal konutları içeren kitlesel konut üretimini hayata geçirmesine neden olmuştur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, 2000 yılından sonra dünyada ve Türkiye’de düşük maliyet ile inşa edilen toplu ve sosyal konutlarda merkezi ve yerel politikalar doğrultusunda küreselleşmenin etkilerini irdelemektir. Çalışma kapsamında, 2000 yılından sonra farklı ülkelerde inşa edilmiş 20 toplu konut ve sosyal konut projesi çeşitli kriterler (tasarım firması, bütçe ve yatırımcı, konut özellikleri, sosyal ve kamusal alanlar, yerleşim şeması) üzerinden incelenmiştir. İncelenen projelerde, dünyada ve Türkiye’de uygulanan toplu ve sosyal konut projelerinin tasarım, planlama ve uygulama aşamalarında benzerlikler ve farklılıklar barındırdığı görülmüş, belirli ortak özelliklere göre seçilen projeler arasında karşılaştırmalı analiz yapılmıştır. Analizden elde edilen bulgulara göre, tüm dünyada benzer şekilde üretilmiş standart konutlar yerine, yerel iklim ve malzemeyi, çevre değerlerini, kullanıcıların ihtiyaçlarını dikkate alan, farklı konut tipleri, kişisel ve ortak etkinlik alanları ve sosyal alanlar sunan konutların üretilmesi uzun vadede etkili ve verimli olabilmektedir. Çalışma, farklı ülkelerde alt ve orta gelir grubu için uygulanmakta olan toplu ve sosyal konutların incelenmesi ve karşılaştırılması, etkili ve sürdürülebilir konut ve çevresi üretimine dair çıkarımlarda bulunması bakımından önem arz etmektedir. Gelecek çalışmalar için ülkelerin yerel politikaları, ekonomileri, kültürel ve sosyal özelliklerine karşılık gelecek toplu ve sosyal konut fikirleri geliştirilmesi önerilmektedir.