Low-Medium Cost High Density Housing

I hope by this time all members of the 4th year Architectural Studio had received my email that I sent to the members who attended the informal discussion. I found it very encouraging that the members present showed concern about the project, such as the input (what and when) and also the site of the project.

Letters will be going out to DBKL and JPN. It is not confirmed that the site will be in DBKL area, but we are inquiring that possibility. "We" means there are other lecturers involved and I am assuming also that some of the 4th year studio members are also pursuing the matter.

Searching for a site involves a lot of factors (to decide which one) and it is not enough with just going around in my aeroback and spotting a vacant lot and fancying it to be the site. It is more complicated than that. To cut the story short, the site should afford a balance of realism and opportunity for the designer. We will go more into that later.

That is a long title - "Low-Medium Cost High Density Housing", but the keyword here is "housing" and what that means to the designer. A designer should not divorce him/herself from that subject matter. I would give a big congratulatory pat on the back if a designer actually decides to find out for him/herself how it actually feels to live in a "pigeon-hole", I mean, a low cost flat... say maybe for a week. For those that had stayed in one for real, they must use their experiences to get the best ideas.

I had not lived in one myself, but I had visited people who lived in these low-cost flats. Imagine families of five (as recommended by policy) living in these flats. It is so tight!

I read with interest in Holland that designers who design for "affordable housing" (Also welfare or social housing - depending in which country you are referring to), they have to provide for three main doors. One for the teenagers to enter and exit so that they do not have to come across their parents all the time and two for each parent if they get divorced. Even the flat can be partitioned in two parts when the divorce happens!

I like to refer to the work of Herman Hertzberger and the Dutch architects. Since the 1960s they were concerned with the quality of social or affordable housing.

Back to the project. So, it will be good for 4th year studio members to explore some questions (or topic of inquiry) and to come up with the design challenges (problems) for the project. For example;

Possible topic of inquiry is based on the following questions:

(1) What are the issues (problems) of low-medium cost high density housing in Malaysia, and;

(2) How do we design for the family unit (average 5 people per unit) and the community living?