Global housing crisis — high living costs
Lack of proper housing has been one of the biggest problems that the world has faced overall. Whether it is the areas that are ridden with natural disasters or the most developed ones. This problem has infected most of the countries. And the severity of this problem is ranging across the world.
There are various reasons why the housing crisis exists around the world. But what is common in all is the fact that they’re unaffordable. The basic requirement of a shelter is often unaffordable to millions across the world. People stay either in small temporary houses or on the streets where they are provided with nothing. This has been observed in the best of the cities to the developing ones.
There will be an eventual rise in this issue as is it estimated that a huge population is going to migrate towards these cities by the year 2050.
Rising homelessness in developed countries
The United Kingdom is one of the many names that we hear when there is a listing of the places where the cost of living is very high; which is not possible for everyone to meet and is causing a large number of people to get homeless amidst a well-developed city.
In the UK itself, it is estimated that about a million people today reside on the roadsides and in public spaces. The people aren’t able to withstand the cost of living in the main cities. And there is no other choice left for them but to move to the streets. There is less moderate-level housing that offers refuge to these people at a lower cost. And as there are no measures taken it is causing this problem to increase to a considerable level and is estimated to increase as people migrate more.
Understanding the multidimensional nature of the issue, what can architecture do to address it?
Brief of the Competition
Brief: This challenge aims to create an affordable housing design that provides people with a basic livable facility for people.
One of the ways to mitigate this problem is only possible by creating solutions that are made in consideration of the poor. Who wants a shelter but simply cannot afford it.
The design is aimed to provide the basic spaces that are needed for survival in the city. Along with other necessary spaces that are accommodated in the affordable price range.
Spaces are meant to be affordable and provide the basic necessity of a house to a large number of people; thus trying to mitigate the problem by a certain percentage.
Design Objectives
•Empathy: Understand the basic needs of the people who are searching for a home on a survival level. Provide spaces that are required for basic functioning and living.
•Affordability: Materials, sizes, and construction technology are to be studied to make the housing project more and more affordable to a large number of people.
•Multiplicability: Study and create a kind of space that can be further multiplied and prototyped in various areas as per the need. Which can help in mitigation of the problem.
•Context — The design must respond to the (existing) site conditions. The wider socio-cultural, economic and environmental settings are to be considered in the design approach.
The above objectives can be a point of beginning to conceive this design. Participants can assume their contexts and user group on the basis of their concepts and designs.
Site
Site Area: 2,657 sq.m
Height limit: G + 6–18–20m
FAR (Floor Area Ratio): 1
Ground Coverage: 30%
Coordinates: 51°32'24.3"N 0°04'37.4"W
The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain — which contains England, Wales, and Scotland — as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The major part of the UK is highly urbanized and the majority of people live in urban cities. The economic cost of living and other services are on a rise due to growth and rapid development.
The site is in London city. It is known for its high-end living and extravagant affairs, but there are many low-income and homeless people who are suffering due to negligence of their needs. Affordability is a huge challenge for them as they end up in sub-standard shelters or on the streets.
The site is located in a small piece of land amidst the dense urban fabric of the city. Surrounded mainly by a residential and industrial area. The site holds a direct connection from two main roads. The neighborhood buildings have the majority of buildings of three to four-floor heights.
Area Programme
The program has been designed for 100 users.
The design of houses/units would be based on two kinds of modules namely Single or Double occupancy for User Groups. The blocks created from these units can be a combination of different units with common areas for interaction and services.
User Profile:
- Young Adults: 18–25 Years: User groups from this age category may be full-time or part-time workers or students depending on their occupation and education.
- Working Professionals: 25–40 years: User groups from this age category would have different kinds of occupations (creative freelancers, healthcare, software developers, etc). However, the house units are expected to be universal and not specific.
Space ideas:
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Living
- Balcony
- Washroom
These are the basic spaces listed above that are to be included along with additional spaces that can be added by the participants.
Originally published at https://uni.xyz.
