Various terminologies

What is a house?
 What is a house?

House is a physical structure, which provides shelter

to its occupants and enables them to perform day to day activities.
What is Housing?

Is a noun or verb?
 Housing

Group of buildings for people to live in.

It is a composite bundle of opportunities offering physical security,

economic security and social well-being to the occupants.
Syllabus
 Syllabus

• Definitions: house, housing, dwelling units, habitable room, household,

built up area, super built up area, carpet area, FSI etc.

• Densities and Housing typologies

• Formal and informal housing: LIG, MIG, HIG housing, different methods
of providing housing such as housing cooperative, employee housing etc.
(with examples)

• Housing design and site planning-site analysis, planning principles (in

short), house design considering climatic aspects, cultural aspects, and
natural disaster
 Syllabus

• Housing demand, need and shortage

• Housing affordability: indicators, interventions and best practices
• Housing policies: Affordable housing related policies, rental housing
policy
• Housing finance and financial institutions,
• Rental housing Policy
• Real estate regulation act (RERA 2016).
• New trends: core housing, low cost and cost effective housing, self-
help housing, flex housing and inclusive housing

• Assignments -2 (20 marks)

• Class tests- 2 (20 marks)
 References

Towers, G. “An Introduction to Urban Housing Design: At Home in the

City.” Elsevier.

Correa, C. “Housing and Urbanization.” Urban Design Research

Institute.

Levitt, D. and Bernstein, L. “ The Housing Design Handbook a guide to

good practice.” Routledge.

https://mohua.gov.in
Housing-A brief history
 Housing-a brief history

• In England and Wales, by 1911 the urban population had reached

28.5 million (four times than expected) because of growth of industry.

• Conditions in the industrial cities were a serious cause for concern- the
polluted atmosphere, the damp and overcrowded buildings, were all
a breeding ground for disease.

• A series of reforms were introduced culminating in the 1875 Public

Health Act. This legislation set standards for the construction of
buildings, for the provision of light and air, and better sanitation.
Housing-a brief history

Dealing with the issues

Quality vs quantity
or both?
 Housing-a brief history

Dealing with the issues

• Multi-storied apartment
• Slum clearance
• Family houses with gardens generously spaced in informal layouts.
• Low-density suburbs were built around all the large cities
• Social housing (rental housing owned by government or NGO)
• Subsidies for housing

The success and failure……..the future?

Dwelling (dwelling house)
A system, being a subsystem of the environment, that affords certain
activities such as eating, sleeping, relaxing, and entertaining family and
friends, but may also include socio-psychological functions, for example
privacy.

A building or a portion thereof which is

designed or used wholly or principally
for residential purposes for one family.
Are dwelling and house synonymous?

House is a shelter that helps to perform day to day activities but may not
fulfil the socio-psychological needs.
Dwelling unit/Tenement

An independent housing unit with separate facilities for living, cooking

and sanitary requirements.

• Single unit dwelling • Multiple unit dwelling

Household

A 'household' is usually a group of persons who normally live

together and take their meals from a common kitchen.
Household size 4.5
Institutional household

A group of unrelated persons who live in an institution and take their

meals from a common kitchen is called an 'Institutional Household'.
Examples of Institutional Households are boarding houses, hostels,
hotels, rescue homes, observation homes, beggars' homes, jails,
ashrams, old age homes, children homes, orphanages, etc.
Houseless household

Households who do not live in buildings but live in the open on

roadside, pavements, under fly-overs and staircases, or in the open in
places of worship, railway platforms, etc. are treated as Houseless
households.
Building
Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever materials
constructed and every part thereof, whether used as human habitation or not
and includes foundation, plinth, walls, floors, roofs, chimneys,
plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, verandah, balcony,
cornice or projection, part of a building or anything affixed thereto or any
wall enclosing or intended to enclose any land or space. (NBC, 2016)
Building

Tents, Shamianahs, tarpaulin shelters, etc, erected for temporary and

ceremonial occasions with the permission of the Authority shall not be
considered as building. (NBC, 2016)
Residential building

the building where at

least half of the area is
used for living
Is building and house synonymous?

Residential building is house

Census house

A „Census house‟ is a building or part of a building used or

recognized as a separate unit because it has a separate main
entrance from the road or common courtyard or staircase etc.
Census house

Residence
Residence-cum-other use
Shop/office
School/college etc
Hotel/lodge/guest house etc
Hospital/dispensary etc
Factory/workshop/work shed etc
Place of worship
Other non-residential use
Vacant
Census house
Building vs. Census house

If a building has a number of Flats or Blocks/Wings, which are independent of

one another having separate entrances of their own from the road or a
common staircase or a common courtyard leading to a main gate, these will be
considered as separate Census houses.
Building vs. Census house
Building vs. Census house

Six separate buildings

Building vs. Census house

two buildings must share functional

space that cannot be divided
among the buildings such as
atrium, lobby etc.
One building
Building vs. Census house

Definition of census house depends on access,

functions/activities and household
Habitable room

A room occupied or designed for occupancy by one or more

persons for study, living, sleeping, eating,

kitchen if it is used as a living room, but

not including bathrooms, water-closet compartments, laundries,

serving and store pantries, corridors, cellars, attics, and spaces that
are not used frequently or during extended periods.
Habitable room

Minimum width: 2.4 m

Minimum area : 9.5 sq. m

Minimum height: 2.75 m

Room height

The vertical distance measured from the finished floor surface to the
finished ceiling surface.

Where a finished ceiling is not provided, the underside of the joists or

beams or tie beams shall determine the upper point of measurement.
Mezzanine floor

Mezzanine floor may be permitted with the minimum height of 2.75 m

(habitable) between any two floors above ground and the area of
mezzanine is restricted to 1/3rd area of that floor.

1st
floor

Gr.
floor
Split level house
Non Habitable room

Minimum width of kitchen : 1.8 m

Minimum area of kitchen : 5 sq. m

Minimum width of bathroom : 1.2 m

Minimum area of bathroom : 1.8 sq. m Combined
Bathroom + W.C
Minimum height of bathroom: 2.1m
minimum area:
2.8 sq.m.
Minimum width of water closet: 0.9 m
Minimum area of water closet : 1.1 sq. m
Minimum height of water closet: 2.1m
Parking

If outdoor, space requirement: 2.75m x5 m

If outdoor, space requirement including circulation: 28 sq.m.

(equal amount of circulation space)

ECS: Equivalent Car Space

Two wheeler 0.2 ECS
Parking

Indoor space requirement: 3m x6 m

Indoor space requirement including circulation : 23 sq. m (25%

circulation)

If in basement, space requirement including circulation: 32 sq.m.

(circulation space= 2.75mx5m)

Minimum height: 2.4m

Plinth
The portion in between the ground level and floor level of a
building.

Covered area
Ground area covered by the building immediately above the plinth
level.

Excluded are compound wall, gate, unstoreyed porch (separate roof)

and portico, canopy, uncovered staircase, ramps areas covered by
chhajja, watchmen‟s booth, pump house, garbage shaft, sub-
stations etc.
Carpet area
Net usable area of any floor excluding the area covered by the walls
(NBC)

but includes the area covered by the internal partition walls of the
apartment. (RERA)

Net usable area of any floor excluding the area

covered by the external walls
areas under services shafts
exclusive balcony or verandah area and
exclusive open terrace area
Floor area
Sum of gross area of several floors of a building or buildings,
measured from exterior surfaces.

It includes elevator shafts and stair wells at each floor, attic space
(with 8 feet head room), all habitable basements, balconies,
mezzanines etc.

Not includes spaces used for mechanical equipment, water tank,

cooling tower etc.

Area of a particular floor vs floor area

Built up area

This is the actual area of the house that comprises the area covered
by the walls.

Built-up area includes the carpet area, the thickness of the outer
walls, area of ducts , balcony and terraces.

Sometimes built-up area is also called as the plinth area.

Super built up area
The super built-up area comprises built-up area and the other usable areas
lobby,
lifts,
stair cases,
corridors,
walkways,
terrace of the house and so forth.

Sometimes, in multi-dwelling units like flats and apartments, common areas

like gymnasium,
swimming pool,
garden and
clubhouse etc. are included in super built up area
Open space

An area forming an integral part of the plot, left open to sky.

Mandatory open spaces depend on the following:

• width of the access road (front open space) and

• height of the building (rear and side open spaces)
Courtyard

Permanently open to sky,

enclosed fully (inner) or
partially by buildings (outer) ,
may be at ground level or any
other level, located within or
adjacent to a building
Cluster
Plots or dwelling units or housing grouped around an open
space. Not more than 20 houses should be grouped in a cluster
Cluster
• Minimum dimensions of open spaces shall be not be less
than 6 m or 3/4th of the height of buildings along

• Maximum cluster open space width and breadth can be 13 m

• Group housing in a cluster

should not be more than 15
m in height.
Group housing
When more than one dwelling units are grouped together, land is
owned jointly and construction is undertaken by one agency
Condominium

Where the owner owns a portion

of common space(land, staircase,
lift etc.) and facilities apart from his
or her residential unit (dwelling unit)
and jointly maintain the common
spaces through owners’
association.
Floor area ratio (FAR)

FAR = total built up area on all floors

(floor area)/ plot area

It is also known as floor space index (FSI)

FAR or FSI
= total covered area of all floors / plot area
FAR or FSI
Site area is 150m x 200m

Maximum permissible FAR=1

Permissible ground coverage=40%

Maximum permissible height= 12m

Identify maximum possible built up area in one floor.

Problem to be solved
• Plot dimension is 30m x 40m
• A building on the site occupies 400 sq.m. on ground and 350 sq.m. of
1st floor
• If permissible FSI is 0.8
• How much area can be constructed on 2nd floor?
Problem to be solved
• A plot owner has purchased a rectangular plot, perimeter 108 m
• Breadth is 20 m.
• He wants to construct a ground+ one storey bungalow
• Permissible FSI is 1.5 m.
• Setbacks on all sides are 2 m
• Calculate the possible construction on ground and 1st floor.
b

l
Premium FSI
The Premium FSI shall be allowed in specific areas
The amount collected towards the award of Premium FSI shall be remitted
into Government account to be allotted separately for this purpose for
utilising it for infrastructure development in that area
additional 0.5 to 1 FSI has been approved so far in India.
Density and built form
Problem of industrial cities
• Whole family is staying in one room.
• Shared inadequate kitchen and toilet facilities
• Spread of diseases
Density

• The residential density expressed in terms of the number of dwelling

units per hectare.

Net Density
area occupied by the housing itself, any services and facilities for its
immediate benefit – private gardens. It includes parking spaces, access
roads within the site and half the width of surrounding roads

250 to 300 DUs/Hectare (MHUA Govt. of India)

Density

Gross Density
In addition to the above facilities, open spaces serving a wider area and
other landscaped areas: primary schools; local health centres; distributor
road and transport networks etc.
Density

NIT Rourkela, 2013

Density

Bedspaces per hectare/acre.

This is simply measured by totalling single and double bedrooms which can
usually be readily identified on design drawings.

Habitable rooms per hectare/acre.

Identifies total number of habitable rooms in each dwelling which includes
living rooms and bedrooms.

Housing floorspace per hectare/acre= FSI

But none of these would be helpful in measuring numbers of people. Hence

we also use population density= People/hectare
Built forms
Basic built forms
Patio is a Spanish
term, which means
Road courtyard. It is
traditionally popular
because of
adjustability in various
climatic condition. It
Garden allows a compact
structure in larger plot

Garden

„tower‟, „street‟ and „patio‟ forms

Density and built form : Pruitt Igoe public housing

Pruitt-Igoe was built in

1954 in downtown St.
Louis accommodating
10,000 residents in
2,870 apartment units.

Pruitt–Igoe was intended

for young white and black
tenants

Yamasaki‟s design for the complex included green spaces, paths, and
playgrounds.
 Density and built form : Pruitt Igoe public housing

• The Pruitt-Igoe buildings intended to include shared gallery spaces (at certain
floors) with large windows, community rooms, skip-stop elevators (stop at
every third floor to save cost).
Density and built form : Pruitt Igoe public housing

• Modernist architect Minoru Yamasaki designed 33 buildings of

eleven stories on the 57 acre site
 Density and built form : Pruitt Igoe public housing

“we were forced to a density of 55-60 families per acre, almost double
the 35 DU per acre that we were trying to attain.”

• Much of the open space was removed, and public toilets, playgrounds, and
landscaping vanished from the final design

• In 1970, 65% of the apartments were found vacant

Density and built form : Pruitt Igoe public housing

• Destruction of the entire complex in 1973

Density and built form

• Low density <30 DUs/ Hectare

• Very high density >100 DUs/ Hectare

Negative impact of low density

high dependency on motor vehicles (Car) and inefficient infrastructure

for public transportation and access to services.
Density and built form
Negative impact of high density

• lack of open space and play areas for children

• crime and violence was reported in high density housing
• risk of serious injury and death in children falling from windows and
balconies of high rise dwellings
• poor management of residence
• increased pollution exposure
• increase risk of spreading disease
Density and built form
Positive impact of high density

• lowered number of cars per household

• increased usage of public transportation
• increased connectivity may improve access to services and
coordination for disadvantaged groups
• increased amenity through design and residential governance
may increase affordability of housing
• increased personal safety around roads and walkways and cycleways
Density and built form

same overall density but different distribution of density (the site area in all
cases is 100 square units, the total floor area is 160 square units)
Density and built form
High density built form (20th Century)

Most multi-storey estates were built at a density of 340 persons per

Hectare
Harley Sherlock (Btitish Architect) calculated the density 385
bedspaces per hectare (129 DUs per hectare)= approx. 3 bedroom per
family
Density and built form
High density built form (20th Century)
Density and development

• The model provides two family maisonettes, each entered

separately.

• The lower maisonette has a private garden and the upper one a
generous terrace.

• The density of such housing would be approximately 400

bedspaces per hectare – equivalent to 90–135 dwellings per
hectare depending on the size mix
Housing typologies: Forms

Detached and semi-detached houses.

• A building detached on all sides (Detached)

• A building detached on three sides (Semi-detached)

• These are the predominant types of housing in most developments of

the recent past.

• The densities of this form of housing generally fell in the range 10–20
DUs per hectare though tightly planned semi-detached houses could
reach 30 DUs per hectare
Housing typologies: Forms

Terraced or row houses.

• A row of buildings, with only front, rear and interior open spaces, where
applicable.

• a wide frontage of 8 metres and large gardens could achieve a density

of 44 dwellings per hectare.

• frontage of about 5 metres with integral car parking, two-storey terraced

housing can achieve densities of well over 50 units per hectare
Housing typologies: Forms

Apartment or flats

• Four-storey flats, with on-street car parking, can achieve densities of

155 dwellings per hectare

• Flats up to eight or nine storeys can have a very high densities of over
400 units per hectare.
Types of apartment building

Low rise walk-up: A three to four storey

tall apartment building without any lift

Low rise with elevator: An apartment

building, which is less than 15.5 meter
but contains an elevator/lift.

High-rise: An apartment building which is

more than 15.5 meter.
Housing typologies: Forms

Detached Semi-detached Row Apartment

Dwelling built on Dwellings built on Dwellings built on Dwelling built on

separate plot separate or same separate or same same plot
plot plot

Cost of Infrastructure cost Cost of Cost of

construction is high is shared, hence construction is less construction is less
cost of construction
is less
Very good for all Moderately suitable Suitable for specific Moderately suitable
climatic condition for all climatic climate for all climatic
condition condition
High-Density Social Housing
Iroko, Coin Street, London

Communal garden and four-storey houses

High-Density Social Housing
Iroko, Coin Street, London

74 DUs per hectare, designed for 59 families

High-Density Social Housing
Iroko, Coin Street, London
These not only have private gardens but a balcony at
each level and a terrace on the roof, resembling the
traditional form

Communal garden and four-storey houses

High-Density Social Housing
Iroko, Coin Street, London
• Located on south bank of the Thames river, completed in 2002

• Owned by a non-profit organisation

• site had been used as a temporary car park for several years and the
new development includes a commercial car park in its basement.

• The new building occupies three sides of a square – the fourth side is
reserved for a new community resource and training centre.
High-Density Social Housing
Iroko, Coin Street, London
• The façades facing the street are more vulnerable to overlooking by
passing traffic and pedestrians. It is on this side that kitchens, parking
and bin stores are placed.

• Seventy-five per cent of the schemes‟ residents are housed on the

ground with their own private entrances from the street.

• For Children there were private garden and communal garden,

they can be supervised from the windows of surrounding houses.

• The tenants are responsible for managing the housing

Housing typologies based on material
1. Pucca house
A pucca house is one, which has
walls and roof made of the following
material.
Wall material: Burnt bricks, stones
(packed with lime or cement),
cement concrete, timber etc
Roof Material: Tiles, GCI
(Galvanised Corrugated Iron)
sheets, asbestos cement sheet,
RBC, (Reinforced Brick Concrete),
RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete)
and timber etc.
2. Kutcha
Kutcha House: The walls and/or roof of which are made of material other
than those mentioned earlier, such as unburnt bricks, bamboos, mud,
grass, reeds, thatch, loosely packed stones, etc. are treated as kutcha
house.

.
3. Semi-pucca house
Semi -Pucca house: A house that has fixed walls made up of pucca
material but roof is made up of the material other than those used for pucca
house.
Resident’s satisfaction
or
Residential satisfaction
Residential satisfaction
Residential satisfaction
Resident’s satisfaction

Need of evaluation

• To narrow down demand and supply gap of housing

• Impact of dwelling units and neighbourhoods upon physical and

mental health as well as economic and social well-being of

individuals, families and community.

• Quality of housing is not static, and it changes in different

circumstances
Resident’s satisfaction

It is an indication of people’s response to the environment where

they live.
Here the environment includes the physical setting (dwelling units,
neighbourhood), social and economic dimensions of such settings.

Residential satisfaction can be assessed at three levels:

• Unit level (dwelling unit)

• Cluster Level
• Neighbourhood Level
Resident’s satisfaction

Unit level (dwelling unit)

• Size
• Arrangement/layout
• Lighting and ventilation
• Thermal comfort
• Privacy and security
Resident’s satisfaction survey
1) Do you think the built up area is sufficient for your living? (Y /N)
2) Presence of space for children to play (Y/N)
3) Are you satisfied with the arrangement of house
• Living cum dining (Y /N)
• Attached toilet (Y /N)
• Combined bath and toilet (Y /N)

4) Do you receive adequate day light in your house? (Y /N)

5) Light and ventilation problem (Y/N)
in…………………………….
6) Comfort problem
• Too hot in summer (Y/N)
• Too cold in winter (Y/N)
Resident’s satisfaction survey
7) Are you satisfied with the level of privacy in your house? (Y /N)
8) Privacy problem
• In balcony (Y /N)
• In room (Y /N)
• During presence of guest (Y /N)
• Related to noise (you can hear of neighbours‟ talk) (Y /N)

9) Do you feel unsafe, living in your house? (Y /N)

Cluster

Plots or dwelling units or housing grouped around an open space.

Not more than 20 houses should be grouped in a cluster
Resident’s satisfaction

Cluster level/ along a lane

• Location
• Appearance
• Services
• Management
• Social environment
Neighbourhood

Neighborhood is the unit or a sub-division of an urban or rural settlement. It will

have the following:
• Residential areas
• a school or schools
• shopping facilities
• religious buildings
• open spaces
• a degree of service industry (pump house, electrical substation, post office
etc.)
Resident’s satisfaction survey
1) Are you satisfied with the location of your house? (Y /N)
2) Are you satisfied with the appearance of the exterior environment in and
around of your house? (Y/N)
3) We have outdoor spaces for the children to play. (Y/N)
4) We have adequate street light in our area. (Y/N)
5) I am happy with the maintenance and management of this housing complex.
(Y/N)
6) I have very good friendship and associations with people of this place. (Y/N)
Neighbourhood

Clarence Arthur Perry‟s

Neighbourhood unit
(1929)

Elementary
school
within walkable
range (400 m)

10%-reserved
for recreation or
park spaces
Resident’s satisfaction survey
Neighbourhood facility

Facility Distance Preferred distance

(km/minutes) (km/minutes)

Pre school
Grocery
Health centre
Bus stop
Park
Resident’s satisfaction

The methodology adopted in studies for evaluating resident‟s satisfaction is post

occupancy evaluation (POE) through

• questionnaire surveys

• time use diaries etc.

Resident’s satisfaction
Questionnaire survey
The structure of questionnaire can have four sections

• Factual data (duration of stay, type of ownership, arrangement of house etc.)

• Perceptual data (privacy problem, space problem, problem of light and
ventilation etc.)
• Future expectation
• Personal data (age, level of education, gender, income, expenditure etc.)
Resident’s satisfaction survey
Present house
1) Type of house: Detached/semi-detached/row house/ apartment
2) Duration of stay
a) Less than 1 Yr b) 1-5 Yr. c) 5-10 Yr. d) More than 10 Yr.

3) Yr. of construction…………………………….
4) Cost of building…………………………………….
5) Ownership: Rented/Owned
Resident’s satisfaction survey
Personal data
• Name…………………………………………….
• Level of education…………………………………….
• Gender………………………………..
• Age…………………………………..
• Monthly income……………………………………….
• Monthly expenditure…………………………………………………….
• Household size/number of members in your family…………………………
Resident’s satisfaction survey
Experience in Previous house
1. It was
a) Detached b) Semi-detached c) Row d) Apartment

2. Located in
a) Within this city b) within this state c) within this country d) outside this
country

3) Type of ownership
a) Rented b) Owned

4) Reasons for moving from the house ……………………………………

 Assignment 1

Analyzing any housing typology and its residents’

satisfaction
 Analysis
• Location of the house/apartment with adjacent amenities
• Housing typology and layout organisation
• Characteristics of the respondent or family
• The types of questions that were asked to the respondents

Results
The importance of long corridor was identified in a response

“Corridors are very advantageous in our housing complex. These corridors are 30-40ft
in length, placed between the flats. Sometimes old people walk over there and chit-chat
when they don't feel like climbing down to the ground.”

(A male respondent of Ruchira Regency)

Satisfaction with the adjacency of natural environment

“I love the view of greeneries from my windows” (A female respondent of Hiland Park)