IMPORTANCE OF LIFESPAN INCLUSION IN LOW COST APARTMENT
DESIGN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: CASES OF APARTMENTS IN JAVA
INDONESIA AN ASIAN DEVELOPING COUNTRY
Rika Kisnarini
Eindhoven University of Technology (TUIe),
The Netherlands
E-mail:r.kisnarini@,tue.nl
Ernilia van Egmond
Eindhoven University of Technology (TUIe),
The Netherlands
E-mail: [email protected]
Jouke Post
Eindhoven University of Technology (TUle)
the Netherlands
E-mail: [email protected]
Happy Santosa
Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya
Indonesia
E-mail:hap~vratna~,vahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The rate of migration, urbanization and population growth create urban slums, squatter
settlements and a tremendous increase of housing needs in urban areas tlrat resulted in urban
land scarcity and a housing backlog especially in urban regions in developing countries. In
alleviating the Rousing backlog, tlre development of apartment for housing tlre poor in urban
areasproved to be a solutionfor solving tlte urban problems given the scarcity of urban land Yet
the low cost apartment units appear not be designed by taking their fr~nctionalllifespan into
account. The number of inhabitants accommodated within the apartment units develops and
changes frequently and accordingly do the functional needs for room In this case, each unit
should have the possibility to alter its function and dimension of the spaces according to user
needs. Moreover building design and construction currently faces an increasing global pressure
to meet the requirementsfor sustainable development.
Our research aims at contributing to the determination of sustainable llifespan based
flexible modular- design alternatives for low cost apartment housing units in humid tropic
developing countries. The method used in this paper is initiated by learning and comparing the
existed units in (Asian) developing countries, follo~vedby experimenting and proposing tlte best
possibilities for the unit alterations. The vital influences tlrat should be considered during the
experiments of the design proposals are the construction system, the modules caused byfurniture
& activities, and the building material dimensions that should be compromised among others.
The contribution: Enable users to meet the requirements for sustainable llifespan based
housing, and assist developing countries in solving the urban ltozrsingproblem
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Keywords: Flexibility, Sustaiizable Construction,Low Cost apartments, Developing Countries.
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1.0 BACKGROUND
The main subject on this paper is functional lifespan. It is considered within the eame of thinking
regarding sustainability. Sustainability involves the simultaneous pursuit of social equity,
environmental quality and economic prosperity (people, planet and profit) (UN 2005). The
importance of taking into consideration the functional lifespan of buildings especially in designing
low cost apartments in developing countries is supported by numerous realities that require high
intentions of governments as developers of housing for the urban poor.
Governments have to face (1) urban land scarcity; (2) migration and urbanization that cannot
be avoided as low income people need to seek job and improve their life; (3) the existence of more
slums and squatter settlements, (4) the fact that urban squatters basically cannot afford decent house
(5) the need for urban resettlements to resettle the urban poor into low cost apartments to provide
appropriate apartments (Aldrich, 1995).
The unit area of low cost apartments built in developing countries is not comparable to that of
social housing in developed countries. The unit areas are mostly rather small with 18m2even only
15m2 occupied by often more than 3 people. An important problem is the number of family
members that occupy each apartment unit which is -frequently uncertain and more than the
maximum capacity permits. The number even increases as the occupants often have to
accommodate sudden additional relatives coming from the Viuage. Moreover more than 75 percent
of low income households in crowded urban areas in developing countries, such as Indonesia,
desire to change or adapt the house when their economical situation improves and when there are
additional needs of the family (Silas, 2003). This means that the space should be flexible and
adaptable during the liiespan of the building: ready to be divided or altered into parts anytime
needed.
In general there is still no large variety of different designs or building technologies that take
the lifespan of buildings and building components into consideration (Crowther 2001); To reduce
and avoid sustainability problems it is necessary to have more insight and understanding of the
sustainability of low cost apartment buildings in developing countries in short term and in lifespan
perspective.
The method used in this paper is initiated by determining the standard of unit plan dimension
and area, followed by collecting alternatives available in functional lifespan application that already
implemented in developed and developing countries, then proposing the possible pattern
alternatives, yet selecting ones that applicable in developing countries, as well as appropriate to
local context. Concluding discussion on this paper will be a proposal of several alternatives for
functional lifespan problem solutions namely modular flexible design for dwelling unit space.
2.0
SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
There is an increasing pressure in many regions in the world to provide a sustainable environment
for present and future generations (Brundtland, UNlWCED 1987, UN/MDG 2001, 2008).
According to the UK strategy 2004 for more sustainable construction, building a better quality of
life suggests key themes for action by the construction industry. These are:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Design for minimum waste
Lean construction & rninimise waste
Minimise energy in construction & use
Do not pollute
Preserve & enhance biodiversity
Conserve water resources
o
o
Respect people & local environment
Monitor & report (i.e. use benchmarks)
Most of the points simply make good business sense e.g. minimising waste and increases
efficiency. Sustainability is of increasing importance to the efficient, effective and responsible
operation of business. (www.sustainable-development.gov.uk). In long term perspective
sustainability also implies that the lifespan and the end-of-life environmental effects of the building
and building parts have to be taken into account in the design of buildings in order to avoid waste
generation. Additionally in order to accommodate the user dynamic needs lifespan inclusion should
be considered since the beginning of design stage. This also counts to anticipate buildings that have
a relatively short functional lifespan, which lead to obsolescence, demolition and material waste
generation (Brand 1994, Post 2002, Kibert 2008, Friedman 2007).
Waste generation can be prevented when buildings are designed to be adaptable to changing
needs of the residents. (Friedman 2007) Sustainability and Lifespan based performance of
buildings thus requires the incorporation -in an integrated manner- of the essential aspects
generated from (1) considerations of technical, social, environmental and economic nature, in
compliance with building codes & regulations as well as (2) by taking into account the end-of-life
environmental effects of the expected lifespan of the building.
There are various ways in meeting the lifespan requirements, it can be met through design and
engineering for adaptability, demount-ability/disassembly, alterability, extend-ability, flexibility,
also transformability, move-ability, etc. Concluding can be stated that in determining the module
pattern for space flexibility arrangements, beside the architectural design requirements, the
tendency of changing user desires during the lifespan of a building should be in priority considered.
3.0
LOCAL CONTEXT APPROPRIATION
The local conditions should be an important consideration as well.' Different fiom the
conditions in the developed countries -due to land scarcity and limitations of funding and all
financial reasons- low cost apartments in developing countries are marked by not only a smaller
area of the dwelling units but also by collective senrice facilities that include bath & WC and
kitchen. It is shown in publications on low cost apartments in three big cities of developing
countries namely Mumbai India, Hanoi Vietnam and Surabaya Indonesia that approximately 6 to 8
units share a bath and kitchen. However in Hanoi after 2003 only two units shared a bath and
kitchen.
The areas of low cost apartment units developed in developing countries varied fiom 13 to 29
square meters as shown at tables 1,2 and 3 below. Despite un-humane and indecent space for living
especially when compared to those standards of living in developed countries, given the severe
financial limitations it was the ultimate solution to be achieved by local and central governments in
solving their urban poverty, slums and squatter settlement problems. However this should be
considered as improvement or great achievement both for the government - especially in managing
the urban housing and urban poverty-, as well as for the poor themselves. The latter had to live
unhealthily, prior to their resettlement in slums and squatter settlements such as under the bridges
or along the riverside informally, etc.
Accordingly, the unit dimensions taken as standards in this paper are based on those in Asian
countries indicated in the tables below.
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Table 1: Unit space area and height of low cost apartments in Mumbai, India
Location and dimension
1 Unit Tenement (sq m) 1 Height of unit
Koliwadi at Girgaon Inner City area (4x 7.25)
1
'29
I
3.20
Lokhan dwala a t ~ u lBazar
l
Market &ea (3 x>)
Haji Kasam Chaw1 at Parel Mill Lands (3.25 x 4)
BDD Chawls at Lower Parel Mill area (3.75 x 4)
Sahyadri at Charkop Kandivali
RBI Housing 1 at Western Suburb Santacruz (W) (4x 4.5)
Subha Galaxy at Andheri @) Western Suburb (3.5 x 4)
Anik 1R&R at Anii Panirapol Chembw (4 x 6)
Table 2: Unit space area and height of low cost apartments in Hanoi, Vietnam
Location
Unit Tenement (sq m)
I Height of unit
Nmyen Cong TN
I
IS
1
2.70
~ i m ~ i e -n
14
2.70
Luong Yem
20
2.70
Table 3: Unit space area and height of low cost apartments in Surabaya, Indonesia
Location and dimension
Height of unit
Unit Tenement (sq m)
IS
3.00
Sombo (3 x 6 )
Simolawang (3 x 6)
18
3.00
18
3.00
Dupak Bangnnrejo (3 x 6 )
18
3.00
Pejaringan Sari (3 x 6)
21
Wonorejo (3 x 7)
3.00
21
3.00
Siwalan Kerto (3 x 7)
18
3.00
Urip Smnoharjo (3 x 6)
21
3.00
Waru Gunung (3 x 7)
Perumnas Meuanggal(3 x 7)
21
3.00
4.0
THEORETICAL VIEWS ON FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENTS
Flexible housing refers to expandable or demountable houses. It is housing that allows flexibility
and transformation, suiting the user's changing needs. A flexible housing is one where such
changes can be brought about without much difficulty. They can respond more readily to changes
over time. Design therefore has to consider the possibility of changes, transformations and
modifications, right at the conception stage (Chattopadhyay, 2009).
Habraken (in Crowther paper, 2006) discusses the traditions of two stage building as he calls
it, in which vernacular buildings are constructed first as a primary structural frame which typically
supports the roof. Then a secondary system of construction follows that defines the internal spaces.
He claims that all timber £rame structures can be analyzed by means of this two-level theory. By
using this two stage building theory Habraken addressed his concerns with social mass housing and
stresses the design of housing with more input from the users. He wrote that the main social
problem of mass housing by that time was the lack of user satisfaction. To alleviate these problems
he proposed his main technical solution called "Support Structures", on which a construction
allows the provision of dwelling units which can be built, altered, and taken down independently of
the others. The support structure and the dwelling unit are treated as separate individual layers
where the dwellings can be changed with no effect on the support. Similarly the dwellings can be
designed independently of the support structure or the adjoining dwellings (Habraken in Crowther
paper, 2006).
Similarly Yuan et all (Yuan, Yongsong and Bing, 2004) set up a new design concept and a
new set of comfortably-off, that went beyond the traditional design method in accordance with
Chinese actual situation. Here the basic idea is that the Whole Construction design is composed of a
General
Construction
Design
that is relatively stable, and a Particular Construction Design that is
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4311Page
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flexible and changeable. In order to anticipate the user dynamic needs and capable to accommodate
the uncertain capacity, the low cost apartment design pattern can be made similar or refer to the
mentioned pattern. Thus the main structure or the main skeleton cah be made more permanently or
stable, while the interior space of the units in this case are made more flexible. This means that there is
possibility to alter and increase partitions in a modular system within each unit. So the basic idea in this case
is as follows:
Permanent DesignJStable Main
Structure Frame
Particular Design for Unit Space
Flesible & Alterable
Figure 1: The basic idea of Construction design
n
The Whole Design
In this case, the lifespan of the main structure or main frame is longer than that of the units.
The units sometimes, frequently in developed countries are made as capsules that are able to be
changed according to its planned lifespan.
So for the main frame or skeleton structure for a normal 4-5 floor height building selected
possible appropriate material can be concrete, steel, baring wall brick, or others. However this
choice requires further observation of the local context and the lifespan can be as long time as
possible. Yet in developing countries, due to limitation of funds, the major principle in construction
generally is the cheapest final cost. (So the cheaper the construction cost, the more possible the
government choose.
The unit space then can be made more flexible and may be planned within shorter lifespan. The
alteration for the unit space can be horizontally or vertically, or both each with consequences. By
adding some distance in unit height, there should be ex@a additional height, and this means
additional construction cost, yet there can be extendable functional space within the unit vertically.
Given the funding limitations, it can be wiser if the space extension is not a full additional floor, but
only a mezzanine, so that the additional height required is not that high. The structure for hanging
the beam that supports the mezzanine floor can be installed in the unit walls.
Figure 2: provision of 14 feet high tenements to allow mezzanine inserted thereby increase
space for economic activities or accommodate larger families
(Experiment by SPARC NGO, CRlT2004)
5.0 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR FLEXIBILITY.
In defining the module within the main structure, Muranka and Rootes state that "The
building grid should be a design tool not a tyrannical preconception of how elements are made and
how they can be made economically, the geometry of the spaces should be determined in order to
achieve the intended use and the desired aesthetic". (Muranka and Rootes, 1996 in Stacey, 2001)
Particularly in housing, it is essential that the design, even if totally prefabricated, does not suggest
432IPagc
that mechanization has taken command. Yet again it should be noticed that the available funding is
limited in DCs.
The unit space module then should be based on either the'dimension of the unit, users'
activity space dimension, or the general component material used dimension in the market such as
soit board, multiplex etc, (usually multiplies of 0.60 or 0.50 meters) Combined with the users'
activities, the module possibiities are multiplies of 1 or 1.2 meter x-x or y-y axis in plan, while the
height or z-z axis should be more than 2 x 1.7 meter (a height of Asian man). Thus floor 1 can be
designed 2.00m height and floor 2 can only be 1.70m.
The unit plan then divided into 2 floors: floor 1 is the original floor that usually consists of
living and dining place, floor 2 or the extendable mezzanine should accommodate the sleeping
sufficiently or and storage, it can be only matraz with no bed case and flexible cupboards.
The stairs can be provided foldable hanging on top, and should be land at floor 1 on
circulation space. While bath and cooking facilities are provided collectively within each building
floor. So the following are the proposal of unit space includmg the mezzanine (alternatives).
BAlCOW
CORRIDOR
Floor-1 Functions
Floor-1AIlematlvePlan
Beams for Floor4
Figure 3: Alternative 1x2 Meter Modular Plan of Floor 1 Include Circulation, Dining and Living
I
GUEST
I
Floor-2 other plan
Floor-2 other plan
Floor-lolherplan
Floor-lolherplan
Figure 4: alternative 1x2 meter modular plan for flexibly extendable mezzanine (floor 2) of unit
The mezzanine floor pieces are supported by ready knock down beams (if required). Those
beams are supported by semi buried columns that already provide hanger on 2 meter height along
the walls. So that there should be columns on 2 meter distance inside the side walls to support the
beams for flexible floors. Accordingly, the floor pieces are actually can be put simply on the beams
that hung on the buried hanger (2 meter height) supported by columns inside the side walls.
UCORRIOOR
Figure 3: alternative 2x1 meter modular plan for flexibly extendable mezzanine (floor 2) of unit
"
"
Figure 5: Structural columns for supporting flexible mezzanine beam 2.00 distanced
6.0
LIFESPAN ISSUES
The building materials for components such as the beams and the modular floor sheet should be
chosen carefully. This means that in making the decisions, besides economic limitations, several
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434IPage
aspects should be considered such as: locality, material weight, embodied energy, construction
system, re-usability, lifespan, etc. There are possibilities of several kinds of materials such as:
timber, aluminum, etc
For example aluminum, recycling aluminum requires only 5% of energy compared to the
production of aluminum from bauxite by the smelting process, The latest recycling technology can
produce aluminum alloy that will match the chemical composition of primary aluminum. Roofing
sheets manufactured from 100% alloy were introduced by Hoogovens (Corus) in 1997. This option
is both environmentally sound and economical.
Figure 6: Structural beams for supporting flexible mezzanine floor plates (1.00 distanced)
7.0
CONCLUSION
In the foregoing alternative plans for flexible extendable mezzanines are proposed for the
interior unit space of low cost apartments in humid tropic developing countries. What should be
kept in mind is to maintain the airflow and natural light entering through the unit space. However
this still requires further research regarding the indoor climate within the mezzanine alternatives.
The possible solutions may also influence the design of the building facade. Moreover the
component alternatives for the unit modules itself should be studied further as well.
It can be concluded that the idea of the extendable floor area of apartment unit in this project
is basically supported by the theory of building layers, on which the main flame or support
structure as the &st layer is considered to have a service lifetime of more than 50 - 75 years. The
units as the second layer can be considered having a shorter service lifetime such as 15 - 25 years.
The flexibility as proposed in the mezzanine solutions above supports not only the changing user's
need, but also more important regarding sustainability: namely the reduction of construction waste
during the lifespan of a whole building. This underpins the importance of inclusion of lifespan
considerations in the design of buildings.
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