Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Low Cost Housing Report 3 Gate
Low Cost Housing Report 3 Gate
We would like to express our deepest appreciation and thanks to our subject teacher Ar. Kuber
Shrestha who provided us with an opportunity to understand and explore the status of
economical and low-cost housing scenario in rural and urban context of Nepal helping us create
this proposal for efficient low cost housings in Nepal for people belonging to Lower Middle
Income Group (LMIG), Low Income Group (LIG) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
Furthermore, we would like to express gratitude to our Teachers of Design studio VIII Ar.
Anish limbu , Ar. Sanjaya Maharjan and Ar. Pradip Pokhrel for their effort of conducting
the design project concerning housing project. We express our thankfulness to all the friends,
who have assisted in creating this well compiled proposal for low cost housing.
Regards,
Anjali Karna (03)
Ashim Sapkota (04)
Rojina Karki (32)
Sabina Gurung (34)
Sabita Guragain (35)
Saroj Dahal (42)
Sunita Banstola (47)
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 1
ABSTRACT
In a developing country like Nepal, it is important to build shelter which is affordable to all,
from high income group to low income group and economically weak section. The economic
crisis has left nobody untouched. From the highly advanced countries to the least developed
countries and developing countries like ours are facing the problems of overpopulation day by
day. The scarcity of the energy sources, food, clothing and shelter has become one of the
catastrophic threats to the whole world.
Even within Nepal, what is low cost in Kathmandu may not be so in Jumla. Load bearing brick
masonry may be cost effective in Kathmandu or Terai but not so in Pokhara or other
mountainous areas where stone are available abundantly at cheap rates. So, to make the
construction low cost, we should know first the area where the construction is to be executed and
the available resources and construction practices in that area. Using the local materials and local
practices are the best way to achieve low cost. But if there are drawbacks in the local materials
and local practices we should use the appropriate technology so that these drawbacks are
eliminated whilst still making the construction affordable for the people.
Increasing number of slums in Dharan which is a highly populated urban residential area
consisting mostly of impoverished persons. Recent year number of slums is increasing in
Dharan. that is problematic for city in many ways first it destructs the beauty of city, waste
cannot manage
A REPORT properly,
ON LOW live in disaster prone zone, violate human rights, etc. Recently, it
COST HOUSING 2
becomes the cause of increasing number of urban poverty.
The cost effective building or low cost housing is the ultimate solution of this problem. The
unorganized settlements with poor living conditions, haphazard health schemes, safety are a
great threat to the nation. Thus the importance of the low cost housing is unavoidable. Low cost
housing works on the principle “housing for all.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.............................................................................................................................1
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................2
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................8
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO HOUSING............................................................................................................8
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF HOUSING....................................................................................................................8
1.3 NEEDS OF HOUSING...........................................................................................................................9
1.4 TYPES OF HOUSING............................................................................................................................9
1.5 INTRODUCTION TO LOW COST HOUSING..........................................................................................9
1.6 OBJECTIVES OF LOW COST HOUSING..............................................................................................10
1.7 NEPAL’S HOUSING SCENARIO..........................................................................................................11
2. METHODOLOGIES OF LOW COST HOUSING...................................................................12
2.1 POLICIES...........................................................................................................................................12
2.2 INCREASING PUBLIC HOUSING........................................................................................................12
2.3 INCREASING LAND SUPPLY FOR HOUSING BY LESS..........................................................................12
ARESTRICTIVE
REPORT ONLAND
LOWUSE
COST HOUSING
PLANNING REGULATIONS................................................................................12 3
..59
12.2. DRAWING DETAILS........................................................................................................................63
12.2.1.....................................................................................................................................................63
12.2.2. LOW INCOME GROUP...............................................................................................................67
...............................................................................70
The principle for low cost is firmly rooted on the grounds of buildings houses that maintain
proper standard of living without compromising on its strength and durability, at the
lowest possible price. (Source- www.spacenepal.com)
Low cost housing will largely facilitate the lower income groups and the displaced ones who are
either homeless or living in the rented houses. The aim of low cost housing is to fulfill the need
of the lower income and middle income groups by developing the different appropriate
technologies most fitted to them. In most cases we have to use the locally available materials. If
these locally available materials have any defects, they should be improved by the application of
modern techniques. Low Cost House or Cost effective house does not mean only a cheap house
without considering the quality, durability, and strength of the house. An inferior house may be
cheap but may become unfit for living within a short period of time. Such house may be risky to
live in and may be costlier in the long run. It means that from the given physical resources of
funds, materials, land, and skills, we should be able to build maximum number of houses of good
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 9
quality at an affordable cost. The technology of design and construction of low-cost housing
must also be appropriate in the economic and social conditions prevailing in the developing
countries. Purely technological considerations and solutions cannot be the sole criteria for
tackling the problem of housing.
As per the national shelter policy 1996, only 8.3% of the Nepalese people have permanent type
of shelter. Out of the remaining 91.7%, 42.2% have semi-permanent shelter and the rest i.e.
50.50% live in temporary type of houses. The condition of most of these temporary types of
houses is precarious. Many of these have only one or two room where a range of activities from
preparing food to breeding of livestock are conducted and the same is also used as their bed
room. In addition to the unhealthy environment these houses are also most vulnerable to natural
disaster like fire, storm, flood, etc.
In the present context, where rich is becoming richer and poor becoming poorer, these poor
families cannot be expected to become capable to improve their economic condition and thus
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 10
cannot afford for a better shelter. Hence it has demanded to focus on construction of low cost
housing to those needed families rather than highly commercialized housing. It seems effective
in the developing country like Nepal.
2. METHODOLOGIES OF LOW COST HOUSING
There is an urgent need to develop housing policy in Nepal. The rapid urban development is
causing uncontrolled haphazard housing pattern while high cost houses are dominating low cost
housings. If this pattern continues, economically weaker sections will never be able to afford
houses for themselves. So, to develop housing policies, estimates of the low cost housing needed
in the owner and rental markets by location are required.
Although there can be numerous methods and ideas to tackle this problem, the methods listed
below can be major steps in reducing housing cost and developing low cost housings.
2.1 POLICIES
The following policies can effectively reduce housing costs:
Increasing the supply of housing via less restrictive land use planning regulations.
Subsidizing low-income households in owned or rented housing.
Subsidies for land development and urban infrastructure.
Providing more subsidized public housing.
Providing real interest-only loans for housing.
Reducing housing demand and rents by reducing subsidies for homeowners.
Modifying or abandoning negative gearing provisions.
2.2 INCREASING
A REPORT PUBLIC
ON LOW COST HOUSINGHOUSING 11
The main reasons for increasing public housing are as follows:
Externalities: An adequate level of housing has a range of external benefits and contributes to
a healthier and more productive workforce.
Complex needs: The market does not supply adequate housing to households in crisis,
vulnerable groups or high-risk groups.
Shortages of affordable housing in the rental market.
Further, there is little doubt that government restrictions on both land supply for housing and the
application of capital to land are limiting the supply of housing. The Productivity Commission
(2004) found that housing land values on the urban fringes of Australian cities significantly
exceeded the opportunity cost of non-residential land. In the United States, Glaeser and Gyourko
(2003) found that restrictions on building in established areas are major causes of house price
inflation in US cities. In Sydney, three-quarters of new dwellings including units are in
established areas and the demand for housing is strongest in these areas. Thus, subject to
environmental constraints, to reduce house prices the governments should allow higher density
housing (a greater application of capital to land) in the established areas.
3.2. DESIGN
A REPORT OFCOST
ON LOW INDIVIDUAL
HOUSING BUILDING 13
3.3. USE OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
TECHNOLOGY
In agrarian country like Nepal, development of housing consumes a lot of fertile, agricultural
land thereby reducing the food product of the country. Hence, economization of land is
necessary not only for individual person but also to safeguard the annual food product of the
country.
The advantages of planning can be as follows:
Economy in land area
Economy in infrastructure cost
Efficiency in maintenance
Privacy between neighboring houses
Easy to make land area smaller
Better environment
One of them being Lumanti housing in Kirtipur for which was developed as settlement program
for people displaced from Vishnumati bank during construction of Vishnumati link road while
other is in Pokhara. Although these projects have been successful they are rather insufficient and
are confined to urban areas only. Nonetheless they have laid the foundation for further
development. Such housing have been done with success in many countries including
neighboring India.
A good shelter till date, has been a commodity of only the economically able people of society.
The income of lower and middle income group is hardly enough to fulfill their daily requirement
of food and cloth. So in the present situation, where price of building materials and labor is
increasing their aim to own the permanent type of house is far from reality.
The act stated below allowed for Joint House Ownership for the first time in Nepal.
Durability
Health and hygiene
Natural disasters.
The drawbacks in the local materials should be eliminated or reduced by improving the local
construction technology or introducing modern science and technology so that the structures
constructed is stronger, more durable and more functional at affordable cost.
direction is sufficient for common live loads. In addition of these pre-cast panels, partial pre-cast
beams. The partial pre-cast panels are placed on the partial pre-cast beams. After fixing in
position the beams and panels, temperature reinforcements of 4.75 mm diameter are placed @ 35
cm in both directions with additional flange reinforcements of same diameter and same spacing
just over the beam. After everything is ready, 1" thick cast in situ cement concrete of ratio 1:2:4
is placed, thus maintaining monolith of panels with beams through protruding steel of the beam .
The beam with cast in situ concrete functions as Tee beam.
The pre-cast steps shall be cured wet for first two weeks and then dry for another two weeks.
After that the steps can be used in construction. It is important to note that the steps shall be
placed in position with the finished smooth surface at the bottom. The top surface will remain
rough so that. It can be finished in the field with the finishing materials like mosaic red oxide etc
as per the wish of the owner.
The cost of cement mortar is costlier than the cost of brick so uses bigger sized well
shaped brick as quantity of mortar consumed will be less.
Thinner mortar is not only cheaper but also produces stronger masonry work. A 10mm
thick mortar gives 25% more strength than a 20mm thick mortar joint for the same brick
strength and mortar mix proportion.
Filling of vertical joint in the brick work increases the strength considerably.
Addition of lime to cement mortar increases workability which helps to reduce the
thickness of mortar joint and fill the vertical joint.
Wetting of bricks before laying is necessary so that brick should not soak the water of the
mortar.
Brick masonry is cheap and has good insulation against heat, cold, sound, etc. The handling of
bricks is very easy and people are familiar with this material since the ancient times. But bricks
have many negative effects too which are:
Productions of bricks consume the fertile top soil valuable for crops, thus reducing the
agriculture production of the country.
Large quantities of fire wood are required to bake the bricks which in turn lead to the
destruction of forest.
The smoke emitted by the brick factories cause air pollution in the vicinity of the brick
factory.
Stone masonry:
Stone is locally available in almost all parts of the country. Normally stone walls are made in the
form of random rubble with cement mortar. The problem with stone masonry is that the
thickness
A REPORT ofON
theLOW
wallCOST
is generally
HOUSING massive and consume too much mortar. So, the cost of stone is 19
generally very low but the cost of mortar is very high making the stone masonry work generally
expensive.
The wall thickness can be reduced to 15 or 20 cm. from 40 cm. or more thereby saving in
cubic contents of materials.
Due to the reduction of the wall thickness, larger usable floor area will be available.
The consumption of mortar which is costlier than the stone is considerably low.
Skilled man power is not necessary for constructing masonry wall as the blocks are
uniform in size and shape.
The inner wall surface which is normally plastered is plain and even. So the thickness
required for cement plaster is much less thereby making considerable economy in
cement consumption.
Vertical reinforcements for seismic forces can be placed at special holes provided in the
pre-cast stone masonry block, making the wall not only cheaper but also stronger.
This type of building material is environmentally friendlier than the brick.
Cast-in-situ:
Almost all the construction work in Nepal is done by this method. Form work is very costly in
R.C.C. works. To reduce the cost of form work, most of the contractors use very low quality and
later ceiling plaster requires to be very thick which increases the cost. Iron work is yet another
costlier item used in R.C.C. system. Since cement concrete is hand mixed, uniform mixing is not
obtained.
A REPORT So,ON
theLOW
strength
COSTof the such concrete will be less than half of what a normal good
HOUSING 20
concrete should have, resulting a very uneconomical concrete construction.
All the benefits present in the pre-cast system such as saving in construction time, cost
reduction, saving in labor particularly skilled manpower etc. exist in this system also.
It is not necessary to establish a big factory to produce the partial pre-cast elements. Only
few steel forms and one or two vibrator are enough for medium sized housing scheme.
Expensive equipment like crane is not necessary.
As the elements are manufactured at site, transportation cost is fully saved.
Standardization of pre-cast element is not necessary as pre-casting is done manually and
any length of pre-cast element that is required can be casted in the form.
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 21
It is cheaper approximately by 35% than the conventional cast in situ R.C.C. works.
Waffle Slab:
The main principle of waffle slab is similar to the slab with closely spaced ribs. It is seen that in
solid slab a portion of concrete below neutral axis, remain ineffective, contributing nothing to the
bending strength of the slab. It is therefore possible to eliminate concrete from such tensile zones
thereby reducing the dead weight of the slab without affecting its structural stability.
The waffle slab is not cheaper than the normal slab of moderate span and is not proposed for low
income and middle income group housing. But the proposed technology is cost effective for
those areas where the waffle slab is necessary and useful like lobby, conference halls,
community centers, etc. and in some higher group housing.
6.3 DOORS AND WINDOWS
Doors and windows are the important constituent of the building which consumes approximately
15 to 20% of the cost of the building. With proper planning this cost can easily be reduced by 5
to 10% and further reduction is possible with the use of alternative building material. The
minimum opening required for light and ventilation should be given which reduces the cost
considerably. The window is designed for the room taking 15% of the floor area as opening.
Window panels are made fixed unless open able is required. Due to the steep rise of timber, the
cost of doors and windows are becoming out of reach of common people. A R.C.C. chaukot
costs only 1/3rd that of its wooden counterpart and it is environmentally friendlier. As the
function of frame is mainly to hold shutter in position, masonry projection, plastered in the shape
of chaukot can do this function. For this, a special pre-cast cement concrete brick with hinges are
necessary. During masonry construction a 4” and 2” projection is made all round the opening.
Two special bricks of cement concrete with hinges are placed where we need hinges at the
chaukot. The projected parts is then plastered and the conventional shutter is fixed. As it is
monolithic with the masonry, there will be no crack between the chaukot and masonry wall.
There is no problem of sagging and warping like in timber chaukot.
The next cheap materials for doors and windows is Ferro-cement. The cost of this type of door is
only 1/6th that of its wooden counterpart. The door shutter is main spinal rod of 16 mm dia. In
the periphery of the shutter. Wire mesh is fixed in the iron rod by binding wire. The mortar of
cement, sand and 1/4th stone chips in the proportion of 1:2:3 is applied over the wire mesh. The
periphery and the central stiffener of the shutter will between 3” wide and 11/2” thick and the
other inner areas ¾ “thick. The shutter is cured for 15 days and then fixed with 16m dia. Rod
pivoted in a ball bearing at the bottom. Such ferro-cement door do not need frame.
7.A LITERATURE
REPORT ON LOW COSTREVIEW
HOUSING 22
Rapid increase in population has caused increase in demand of dwelling units in urban areas like
Kathmandu valley. The main cause for rapid increase in population in urban areas can be
attributed industrialization, political situation and people coming in search of opportunities from
rural to urban area. The urban growth rate of Kathmandu Valley is 6.6 percent which is very
high.
28% of people in Kathmandu live in rental houses which has poor return of investment. Also
living in Rent has it's own set of problems like lack of services etc. 7.3% people live as squatters
with out any permanent houses.
In urban areas the reality of 'Slum Settlement' has always been a constant challenge. Evicting
their temporary houses is no solution. This will just move them from one place to another.
Although many housing and land development project are taking place rapidly in urban areas
like Kathmandu, none has addressed the need of housing for poor. The homeless and
economically weak people have to spend their entire life living without basic amenities like
water supply, drainage for standard living. They live in places where insanitary condition prevail
and diseases flourish. Such condition in turn are contribute to other negative aspect including but
not limited to high rate of birth, literacy, juvenile crime and death. Giving a good shelter will
improve their health and make them more productive.
Due to uncontrolled growth of population, housing need among people has increased in
geometric proportion. Building of houses in haphazard way have led to loss of thousand of
ropanees of agricultural land there by reducing the food product of the country. For instant river
basins of Vishnumati, Tukucha, Bagmati etc are more suitable for agricultural farming than
residential development. But all the land of Tahachal, Bagbazar, Kopundal is being consumed
for residential development.
We conduced our case-study for deigning low cost housing for squatter’s communities in dharan. Our
site for case-study is located in dharan-15 khoriya basti.
Detailed Study:
BRIEFLY
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 24
The first house in squatter communities we visited was RCC Structure with Truss roof. There building
was single storied. There was 4 room. Plinth Area of the building was about 1822.5 Sq feet . Altogether
there were 5 family member: Father, Mother , 2 Daughter and a Son. Overall earning of the family was
governed by their younger daughter who was working as foreign employment and their younger son, who
was working as Nepal army. According to them, monthly income of their family was about Rs 20,000.
Their average monthly expenditure was about 5000 on food and other kitchen utilities. Their monthly
saving data was not available. They had pit latrine outside of their house. All the solid wastages from
house and kitchen were burnt and disposed. Liquid wastages from kitchen was disposed to the drainage
on the side of road. They have private tap water system and water provided by Nepal drinking water
corporation.
They were using LPG gas for cooking. Sometimes to also use fire woods collected from nearby forest.
According to them, Government of nepal did some help for their betterment but most of the
developmental work were done by the involvement of the community.
CASE-STUDY 2
Detailed Study:
BRIEFLY
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 25
The Second house in squatter communities we visited was RCC Structure with Truss roof. There building
was single storied. There was 5 room. Plinth Area of the building was about 768 Sq feet . Altogether there
were 4 family member: Father(dead) , Mother and 3 Son. Overall earning of the family was governed by
their elder son who was political leader . According to them, monthly income of their family was about
Rs 30,000. Their average monthly expenditure was about 15000 on food and other kitchen utilities. Their
monthly saving data was not available. They had pit latrine outside of their house. All the solid wastages
from house and kitchen were burnt and disposed. Liquid wastages from kitchen was collected and
disposed. They have private tap water system and water provided by Nepal drinking water corporation.
They were using LPG gas for cooking. According to them, Government of Nepal did some help for their
betterment but most of the developmental work were done by the involvement of the community.
CASE-STUDY 3
Detailed Study:
BRIEFLY
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 26
The third house in squatter communities we visited was RCC Structure with Truss roof. There building
was single storied. There was 4 room. Plinth Area of the building was about 2369.25 Sq feet . Altogether
there were 8 family member: Father , Mother , 4 daughter and 2 Son. Overall earning of the family was
governed by the mother herself by making local wine , rakshi etc at their own house. Father was ex Indian
army and he used to pension of about 20,000 per month. According to them, monthly income of their
family was about Rs 26,000. Their average monthly expenditure was about 15000 on food and other
kitchen utilities. Their monthly saving data was about Rs2000-3000. They had pit latrine outside of their
house. All the solid wastages from house and kitchen were burnt and disposed. Liquid wastages from
kitchen was disposed to nearby drainage. They have private tap water system and water provided by
Nepal drinking water corporation.
They were using LPG gas for cooking. Sometimes they also use fire wood as cooking fuel collected from
nearby forest.According to them, Government of nepal did some help for their betterment but most of the
developmental work were done by the involvement of the community.
CASE-STUDY 4
Detailed Study:
BRIEFLY
The Fourth house in squatter communities we visited was made of bamboo and mud with thatched roof.
There building was single storied. There was 2 room. Plinth Area of the building was about 2460.37 Sq
feet . Altogether there were 7 family member: Father , Mother , 5 daughter. Overall earning of the family
was governed by their father who was working as labor. According to them, monthly income of their
family was about Rs 30,000. Their average monthly expenditure was about 15000 on food and other
kitchen utilities. Their monthly saving data was about Rs6000. They had pit latrine outside of their house.
All the solid wastages from house and kitchen were burnt and disposed. Liquid wastages from kitchen
was disposed to nearby drainage. They have private tap water system and water provided by Nepal
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 27
drinking water corporation.
They were using LPG gas for cooking. Sometimes they also use fire wood as cooking fuel collected from
nearby forest.According to them, Government of nepal did some help for their betterment but most of
the developmental
CASE-STUDY 5
Detailed Study:
BRIEFLY
The fifth house in squatter communities we visited was RCC Structure with thatched roof. There
building was single storied. There was 7 room. Plinth Area of the building was about 1275.75 Sq feet .
Altogether there were 5 family member: Father , Mother , 2 Daughter and a Son. Overall earning of the
family was governed by the mother who was from the shop and the father was working as a driver .
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 28
According to them, monthly income of their family was about Rs 30,000. Their average monthly
expenditure was about 15000 on food and other kitchen utilities. Their monthly saving data was rs 2000-
3000. They had pit latrine outside of their house. All the solid wastages from house and kitchen were
burnt and disposed. Liquid wastages from kitchen was disposed to the drainage on the side of road. They
have private tap water system and water provided by Nepal drinking water corporation.
They were using LPG gas for cooking. Sometimes to also use fire woods collected from nearby forest.
According to them, Government of nepal did some help for their betterment but most of the
developmental work were done by the involvement of the community.
Services : Electricity and water supply have been provided from Nepal electricity
authority and Nepal khane Pani Sansthan. The branch roads with drainage
system running parallel to its site.
Building Materials : Brick, timber, Steel staircase, CGI roof with metal truss
Socio-Economic Analysis : The average income - Rs.5000 per month.
Most of them are Dalit and low caste Newars.
Thus he moved to India in 1945 and continued to live and work in India for over 50 years. He
became an Indian citizen in 1989 and resided in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala from
1963 and founded COSTFORD (Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development), an
organization to promote low-cost housing.
Sustainability and green building are now catchwords of the 21st century, but architect Laurie
Baker was living these concepts at the inception of WWII in China and eventually during his six
decades in India. Baker operated more as a master builder with affinity for hands-on involvement
at sites rather than an office-confined architect. He was also a talented artist and cartoonist with a
ready wit and willingness to expose nonsense in the building world and, indeed, the world in
general.
There are thousands of Baker-inspired buildings – public and private – continuing to be built.
Cost ford's cost-effective architecture now carries forward the philosophical and technological
heritage crafted by Baker. His last project in Vilappilsala now houses the Laurie Baker Centre
for Habitat Studies providing both hands-on training in the building technologies he promoted
and professional training in his design and construction philosophy for architects and those
interested in alternative ways to craft built environments.
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 33
He has designed and built a dance village, computer institutes, fishermen's huts, chapels and
churches, factories, schools, film studios, orphanages, tourist resorts, residences, technical
institutes, earthquake and tsunami resistant houses, leprosy homes, a Literacy Village, hostels,
slum dwellings improvement, an ornithology centre, government buildings, a blind children's
international school and a museum. In Kerala alone, he has built over 2000 buildings. He has
also done pioneering work into earthquake and tsunami proof housing.
Baker became well known for designing and building low cost, high quality, beautiful homes,
with a great portion of his work suited to or built for lower-middle to lower class clients. His
buildings tend to emphasize prolific – at times virtuosic – masonry construction, instilling
privacy and evoking history with brick jali walls, a perforated brick screen which invites a
natural air flow to cool the buildings' interior, in addition to creating intricate patterns of light
and shadow. Another significant Baker feature is irregular, pyramid-like structures on roofs, with
one side left open and tilting into the wind. Baker's designs invariably have traditional Indian
sloping roofs and terracotta Mangalore tile shingling with gables and vents allowing rising hot
air to escape. Curved walls enter Baker's architectural vocabulary as a means to enclose more
volume at lower material cost than straight walls, and for Laurie, "building [became] more fun
with the circle."
Baker so often used to be seen rummaging through salvage heaps looking for suitable building
materials, door and window frames, sometimes hitting a stroke of luck as evidenced by the
intricately carved entry to the Chitralekha Film Studio : a capricious architectural element found
in a junk heap.
His philosophies:
I have my own principles, which I am unwilling to abandon. I dislike falsehood and deceit. A
building should be truthful."
Objectives:
• To improve and upgrade the existing slum area
• To provide serviced sites for new housing developments instead of building complete houses.
• To provide for 6,500 residential plots ranging in size from 35m2 for EWS to 475m2 for high
income groups
• Create a township with a sense of continuity and fundamental values of security in a good
living environment.
• Achieve a community character by establishing harmony between the built environment and
the people.
• Create a balanced community of various socio-economic groups to evolve a framework
through
design.
Financial Aspects:
• The idea was to mix some middle income plots with EWS plots to use the profits to raise
capital towards development of local trades.
• Funding – 100% public sources.
Characteristics:
• Mixed and multiple land use
• Formation of small neighborhoods and houses extending to the outdoors.
• Small shops operating within congested areas.
• Trees planted in public places
• Streets accommodating social, economic and domestic activities.
• Rapid expansion of Urbanization in developing countries has led to severe shortage of housing.
• Lack of necessary assets and financial backing for majority of population, stumbling blocks in
acquiring a decent house.
• Such a situation increasingly leads to creation of unwanted city-view, city life spoilers like
shanty towns, squatter colonies and roadside settlements.
•A REPORT
Such typesONof LOW COST HOUSING
impoverished settlements 36
also spawn health epidemics besides
becoming hotbeds of corruption, crime
and disease for engulfing societies. Al-
Manzil Builders & Developers aims
to change all this promising to usher in a
new era of low-cost housing for the poor
and the low-
income groups.
• Garnering of key financial support from
Project Sponsors, Governmental and Semi
Governmental Agencies, Housing
Bodies, Professional Associations involved with low-cost
housing for the poor.
• Drawing up of Project Plans, building, constructing low-cost housing, marketing the Project,
leading to delivery of the low-cost housing units to the end-user.
8. SELECTION OF LOW COST
BUILDING MATERIAL
Manufacturing of Low Cost Building Materials
Environmental friendly
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING Improve technologies for production 37
Reduction in waste generation
Use of Recycled Waste as Building Materials
Waste produced can be used for the
production of a material cheaper in cost
Use of Natural Low Cost Building Materials
Natural materials are sustainable and environmental friendly
Materials like stone , wood ,lime ,bamboo ,sand have low embodied energy
Use of Local Building Materials
Reduces transportation dependence
Suitable for local environment
Use of non-toxic Building Materials
Materials to be free from any kind of toxins
Higher air cycling required if any highly organic volatile compounds are used
Longevity, Durability and Maintenance
Use of durable construction materials decreases the maintenance cost
Low maintenance cost saves a lot of building operating costs
Recyclability and Reusability
In a form so that it can be recycled or reused. Eg.Plastics
Biodegradability
Decompose naturally when discarded
Not produce toxic gases while decomposition
Man Made
• Fly Ash
• Coal Washery Rejects
• Aerocon Panels
• Ferro Cement
8.1 Natural
Random straw or Coconut Fibres Stabilised Soil
• Ancient construction material used in many countries
• Have both strength and durability
•A REPORT ON
Compacted LOW COST HOUSING
material 38
• 1% of straw increases the strength by three time as
compared to no straw
• Coconut fibres increases the durability
• Sulphur coating enhances the water resistance
Bamboo
• India is the largest producer,50% of world
production
• Easily affordable
• Easy assembly and long durability
• High tensile strength, than steel
• Fire resistant unto 4000 deg C
• High elasticity hence used in earthquake prone
areas
• Low weight –easy for transportation and
assembly
Straw
• Fire resistant
• Thermal insulation
• Soil and Moisture insulation
• Non toxic
Life Extended
A REPORT Thatch
ON LOW Roofing
COST HOUSING 39
• Treating with copper sulphate solution decreases the
biodegradability
• Treatment of roof surface with phosphorylated spray or
CNSL oil imparts - water proofing, termite resistance,
fire resistance, weathering resistance
Coir-CNSL Board
Used for window and door shutter, partitioning,
false ceiling, furniture etc.
Single layer flat pressed medium density board
LowON
A REPORT water
LOWabsorption, workable with wood tools
COST HOUSING 40
Paintable, pre laminable, screw able
Jute-Coir Composites
Economic alternative for wood
Eg- coir ply boards with jute face veneer,
coir plus waste rubber inside.
Aerocon Panels
• Inorganic bonded sandwich panels
• 2 fibre cement sheets engulfing a Portland cement
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 41
mix with fibres of
silica's and micaceous aggregates
• Light weight, thermal insulation, fire and
sound resistant
• Termite and weather resistant
• Suitable for seismic or cyclone prone
zones
Ferro cement
• Thin walled versatile high strength
cement based composite material
• Cement mortar reinforced with 2-3 layers
of wire mesh
• Light weight high strength
Plaster
Roofing
Bamboo Matt Roofing Corrugated Sheets
Better than clay and Mangalore tiles
Preferred for semi permanent structures
Physical Features
a) Location
Site location : Dharan Municipality
Climate : Warm temperate
The site is located in quite and peaceful suburban area. The
site covers the total area of 100 ropani out of which 10
ropani is taken for low cost housing. It is about 1.5 km.
away from the existing main road. The site has a lot of
potential values like easy accessibility from Sahidratna
marga, Panmara.
b) Topography
As the site is located in suburban area, it has a little peaceful environment. Lots of land areas are
been utilized for agricultural purpose. The site is not negatively affected by views, dust, smoke,
fumes and zoning restrictions. Following features can be found around the site.
e) Approach Roads
The major approach road to the site is the main road leading to Panmara. This road can be also
accessed from different areas. The major road has good transportation services of tempos, local
bus, bike etc.
Social Features
The majority of the population is economically weaker society that has been under caste
discrimination from past several years, whose culture, life style and economy is shaped by
traditional agricultural practice. Very few settlements of Chhettris, Brahmins, others ethnic
group and majority of Rai & Limbu can be seen. Extended family structures are changing over to
nuclear families creating demands for new housing units. Majority of the sample population
(79%) believe in Hindu religion. However, a significant population (10%) follows Christinity
religion and remaining Kirati religion. Although the number of illiterate population in the project
area is very few, large no of population has hardly completed primary level education.
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 43
Economical Features
The only about 50 percent population of the study area are fully employed, who are engaged in
agriculture (19%), labor works (4.3%), service (15.3%) and trade/industry (6.8%) and other
occupation (1.7%). Basic services and other necessary civic amenities like schools, hospitals,
market etc are scarcely available. Studies of these factors are discussed below-
a) School
There is only one secondary level school located in the vicinity. However, the school is
only functioning from various aids of the previous students.
b) Hospital
Few health posts are present at the site. People of the site have to travel a long way to
BPKIHS even for basic first aid like health facilities.
c)Transportation
The main access road lies in east-west major axis part which connects the site with the
Panmara area. A tempoo, local bus seems to pass by during day.
Water supply
Majority of the population in the sample area use private tap . A handful of the
population use other various means like water supply from ADB and Nepal khanepani.
c) Electricity
The site is well facilitated with the electricity lines at the surroundings from NEA.
d) Telephone
Telephone, modern day requirement for every individual has also been another facility
experienced by the locality.
e) Waste management/sewerage:
Due to agrarian life style about 60% of the waste generated in the project area is
agricultural by products and kitchen waste. There is no effective solid waste disposal and
management system in place and local community usually disposes solid waste in pits or
into roadside drain (storm drains) or in the river close to the settlement or either burnt.
The biodegradable
A REPORT waste is either fed to the livestock or used as farmyard manure after in
ON LOW COST HOUSING 44
house composting.
f) Market
Being in the suburban areas, there is market center nearby, retail shops like the grocery,
stationary goods, and other daily goods. Bhanu chowk is the main market center for the
people which is 3 km away.
9.2 BYELAWS
According to the old byelaws of Nepal, 2.5 anna land was enough for construction of 1 house but
now that the byelaws have changed, 4 anna of plot is minimum for building construction. Since
our target groups cannot afford to buy 4 anna of land individually, we are trying to merge 2, 3
plots into 1 so that they add up to 4 anna cumulatively. We have introduced joint ownership for
the land for this low cost housing.
Since the above mentioned facility is a special provision, special ordinance has to be provided
for this. The target groups have to talk with lawyers for joint ownership of land for low cost
housing.
Selection of site for farm building
For construction of farm buildings selection of site is most important. Before selecting a site the
following points are to be considered,
Soil
Soil must be suitable for strong foundation, Marcy, clay, sandy, rock soils are not suitable,
Loamy and gravely soils are best suited for building construction.
Farm
At least 2-3 acre land is required for 200 cows accommodation.
For 2 cows 1-acre land is essential for fodder production.
Drainage system
Proper drainage of rain and subsoil water should be provided to keep healthy environment and to
protect the building from dampness.
Protection from wind and solar radiation
If the farm building in open or exposed area, the wind breaks in the farm of tall quick growing
trees should be grown near the building,this will reduce the wind velocity and solar radiation.
Protection from noise and other disturbance
The farm site should be away from noise producing factory/chemical industry, sewage disposing
area.
The industrial
A REPORT ONeffluents
LOW COSTin the form of gaseous or liquid may pollute surrounding resources.
HOUSING 45
Noise is also found to affect the animal production. Hence the farm should be away from city.
Transport facility
The farm buildings should be provided with good road and also have the accessibility to reach
the market.
Orientation
The farm housing can be constructed facing road; other buildings may be turned at an angle to
road or reversed to take advantage of the prevailing wind and sunlight.
In general animal sheds are located with long axis east to west the paddock side facing the north
to get direct sunlight during winter and to prevent entry of direct sunlight into the shed during
other seasons
Front Elevation
Back Elevation
Back Elevation
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 55
Left side Elevation
Cost Effective Housing or Low Cost Housing would be a good alternative to shabby and poor
settlements. It will also improve the hygiene of the residents and the surroundings. But not just
the low cost tagline would be sufficient for the construction but also the construction should be
strong, durable and safe.
The output of the project is a 'low cost durable home' for the homeless and economically weaker
group of the society. Giving a good shelter will improve their health and make them more
productive.
Effective resource management and prevention of haphazard housing construction shall also be
achieved. The Implementation of low cost housing is extremely contextual from today's point of
view.
Recreation view
3D View
12.2. DRAWING DETAILS
Section at X-X
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 66
A REPORT ON LOW COST HOUSING 67
12.2.2. LOW INCOME GROUP