Agents of Change in the Domestic Built Environment

As our cities age, a large number of spatial structures experience physical change. A better understanding of what this process may entail and the agents involved in it can extend the knowledge of practitioners, activists, and policy experts regarding the resilience of our domestic building stock and cities. Awan et al. (2013) explain that agents are not entirely free from societal and spatial constraints; instead, they are characterised by intent, shaped by their own visions and actions, and context, the spatial and social structures of which they are part and which they negotiate. This article discusses the intent and context of the agents involved in the construction and transformation of the Cité Ouvrière in Mulhouse in Eastern France from the mid-19th century to date. With 1,253 houses built for the workers of the Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie (DMC) textile factory between 1853 and 1897, Cité Ouvrière was the largest and most successful employer-constructed housing scheme of its time, setting an example for many other European company towns. Through this exceptional case study, the article identifies the levels at which spatial agents operate, the means they use to instigate change, their dynamic relations, and the ways these are influenced by the wider historical context while influencing the making and evolution of the built form. Using historical and archival documents, it amounts to recognise an interplay of individuals and public and private groups, who have been responsible for taking decisions at different scales—the city, the neighbourhood, and the houses—and have instigated changes of different effect—from more localised to more aggregate.

FLEXIBLE HOUSING SCHEMES ON HOUSING TYPE 36 IN YOGYAKARTA

Flexible housing has the potential to be applied in housing type 36 in Indonesia, especially with a focus on the modeling of the flexible housing scheme. But beforehand, potential redundancies and trend patterns of occupant needs must be identified. The research stages are spaciousness, spatial complexity using statistics, and perceptual clarity using repeated modeling and evaluation. There are 28 research data samples taken from type 36 housing developed by Perum perumnas Regional V of Yogyakarta branches i.e. Perumnas Minomartani, Perumnas Condong Catur, Perumnas Guwosari, and Perumnas Trimulyo. The results of the research are change of rooms needs for the inhabitant, transformation of tipology from the house layout, the priority setting of rooms for the inhabitants, linkage among rooms that is efficient for the inhabitant, limitations of flexible housing, and flexible housing schemes.

Inclusive Housing: Exploring Culturally Inclusive + Accessible Design in the Contemporary New Zealand State House

<p>The aim of this research is to establish and apply design methods that define an appropriate dwelling for New Zealand’s state housing. The central criteria for this is accessibility and cultural inclusivity. New Zealand’s current state housing scheme is struggling to provide for an ever-growing waitlist of eligible households. Furthermore, the size and design of state homes have remained relatively stagnant, while the average occupant has significantly deviated from the nuclear family it once was. Not only is the current housing stock predominantly low density, but it is also built for a nuclear family in bi-cultural society. However, state home occupants are no longer comprised of two parents + child(ren) from Pakeha or Maori backgrounds. Instead, single-person households, couples with no children or only one child from all ranges of ethnicities make up the majority of the state housing register. This change suggests there is a potential need for a paradigm shift from three-four bedroom dwellings to one-two bedroom and five+ bedroom dwellings becoming the majority of the housing stock. Not only are the homes incorrect in bedroom size, but many are also inaccessible or culturally inappropriate for households. Due to New Zealand’s diverse range of cultures, there is ‘no one size fits all’ home type for each cultural group. The findings of this thesis identify a lack of consideration in Housing NZ’s design guides and New Zealand Standards to the wider demographics of its residents. International and domestic case studies are comparatively analysed to identify spatial features that can inform the way state houses should be designed for New Zealand residents. This research has been used to create a design guidelines that provides flexible and inclusive dwellings. Finally, these guidelines are tested on a specific site in inner-city Wellington, proposing a range of dwelling typologies designed for accessibility and inclusivity that are explored at three key scales – the urban landscape, the building envelope and the interior.</p>

Inclusive Housing: Exploring Culturally Inclusive + Accessible Design in the Contemporary New Zealand State House

<p>The aim of this research is to establish and apply design methods that define an appropriate dwelling for New Zealand’s state housing. The central criteria for this is accessibility and cultural inclusivity. New Zealand’s current state housing scheme is struggling to provide for an ever-growing waitlist of eligible households. Furthermore, the size and design of state homes have remained relatively stagnant, while the average occupant has significantly deviated from the nuclear family it once was. Not only is the current housing stock predominantly low density, but it is also built for a nuclear family in bi-cultural society. However, state home occupants are no longer comprised of two parents + child(ren) from Pakeha or Maori backgrounds. Instead, single-person households, couples with no children or only one child from all ranges of ethnicities make up the majority of the state housing register. This change suggests there is a potential need for a paradigm shift from three-four bedroom dwellings to one-two bedroom and five+ bedroom dwellings becoming the majority of the housing stock. Not only are the homes incorrect in bedroom size, but many are also inaccessible or culturally inappropriate for households. Due to New Zealand’s diverse range of cultures, there is ‘no one size fits all’ home type for each cultural group. The findings of this thesis identify a lack of consideration in Housing NZ’s design guides and New Zealand Standards to the wider demographics of its residents. International and domestic case studies are comparatively analysed to identify spatial features that can inform the way state houses should be designed for New Zealand residents. This research has been used to create a design guidelines that provides flexible and inclusive dwellings. Finally, these guidelines are tested on a specific site in inner-city Wellington, proposing a range of dwelling typologies designed for accessibility and inclusivity that are explored at three key scales – the urban landscape, the building envelope and the interior.</p>

Experience-driven heritage

<p>Within the Wellington region, there are a number of abandoned military fortifications which were designed as a coastal defence system to protect the harbour from Russian attacks in late 19th Century. Changing circumstances have meant that this coastal defence infrastructure network is no longer functional, and this research aims to bring it back to life. The site chosen for this research investigation is Watts Peninsula, which is enjoyed by only a limited number of the wider public who only visit a small part of the site. The great size and topography of the landscape makes it a serious challenge to manage let alone transform. This site therefore seems to be a great opportunity to explore the disciplinary challenge of how to bring coastal military fortification sites back to life? Traditionally, the way to bring coastal sites with abandoned fortifications back to life is by treating them as heritage projects. They are protected and sometimes developed as more or less significant tourist destinations that display the significance of military history and heritage. This approach tends to break up the landscape into key areas, with the minimal path system required to connect up the various heritage items and locations on the site. This typical approach severely limits the range and richness of experiencing potential of a site like Watts Peninsula. This thesis will approach this project by engaging with the countless experiences found within the existing landscape; stepping the normal heritage approach. Topography, slope, vegetation cover, aspect and views were found to produce a great range of effectively separately experienced patches or landscape-experience zones. This thesis sought to understand how the site produced the involuntary types of movement-experiencing that it did and how it differentiated itself into these experience-zones. The types of experiencing that the site produced seemed to have a great deal to do with the interaction of paths/movement through the various mosaic of experience-zones. The aim of the analysis was to discover the actual and potential ways that the site is differentiated into these experience-areas and the actual and potential movement experiences that could allow access to these areas. The design investigation would aim to maximise the number and variety of these movement and experience-zones. The resulting development would aim to spread a complex mosaic-network of experiencing across as much of the site as possible. This network would be intended to develop in a way where the great richness of possible experiences and the mystery of the site are both increased. The project would require significant funds and so a housing scheme on the southern edge of the site seemed the most obvious way to provide income for such a development. The intended housing development was designed to increase the local population who would have access to the site but hopefully in a manner where the housing would not seriously impact on views to, or the experiences and mystery of the site. Overall, the design development would be intended to transform this landscape into a destination for varieties of adventuring, exploring and experiencing on a remarkable landscape. With the help of the housing, the possibility of this being an urban adventuring destination and the network of paths and experiencing could then provide something of a way to make the heritage transformation of the fortifications themselves a viable prospect. The treatment of the fortifications has not been engaged with in this project. So, it can be said that this research has attempted to avoid the normal way that coastal military fortifications tend to be developed and proposed, instead, an experience-driven approach to the site and to heritage.</p>

Experience-driven heritage

<p>Within the Wellington region, there are a number of abandoned military fortifications which were designed as a coastal defence system to protect the harbour from Russian attacks in late 19th Century. Changing circumstances have meant that this coastal defence infrastructure network is no longer functional, and this research aims to bring it back to life. The site chosen for this research investigation is Watts Peninsula, which is enjoyed by only a limited number of the wider public who only visit a small part of the site. The great size and topography of the landscape makes it a serious challenge to manage let alone transform. This site therefore seems to be a great opportunity to explore the disciplinary challenge of how to bring coastal military fortification sites back to life? Traditionally, the way to bring coastal sites with abandoned fortifications back to life is by treating them as heritage projects. They are protected and sometimes developed as more or less significant tourist destinations that display the significance of military history and heritage. This approach tends to break up the landscape into key areas, with the minimal path system required to connect up the various heritage items and locations on the site. This typical approach severely limits the range and richness of experiencing potential of a site like Watts Peninsula. This thesis will approach this project by engaging with the countless experiences found within the existing landscape; stepping the normal heritage approach. Topography, slope, vegetation cover, aspect and views were found to produce a great range of effectively separately experienced patches or landscape-experience zones. This thesis sought to understand how the site produced the involuntary types of movement-experiencing that it did and how it differentiated itself into these experience-zones. The types of experiencing that the site produced seemed to have a great deal to do with the interaction of paths/movement through the various mosaic of experience-zones. The aim of the analysis was to discover the actual and potential ways that the site is differentiated into these experience-areas and the actual and potential movement experiences that could allow access to these areas. The design investigation would aim to maximise the number and variety of these movement and experience-zones. The resulting development would aim to spread a complex mosaic-network of experiencing across as much of the site as possible. This network would be intended to develop in a way where the great richness of possible experiences and the mystery of the site are both increased. The project would require significant funds and so a housing scheme on the southern edge of the site seemed the most obvious way to provide income for such a development. The intended housing development was designed to increase the local population who would have access to the site but hopefully in a manner where the housing would not seriously impact on views to, or the experiences and mystery of the site. Overall, the design development would be intended to transform this landscape into a destination for varieties of adventuring, exploring and experiencing on a remarkable landscape. With the help of the housing, the possibility of this being an urban adventuring destination and the network of paths and experiencing could then provide something of a way to make the heritage transformation of the fortifications themselves a viable prospect. The treatment of the fortifications has not been engaged with in this project. So, it can be said that this research has attempted to avoid the normal way that coastal military fortifications tend to be developed and proposed, instead, an experience-driven approach to the site and to heritage.</p>

Redevelopment of Huai Khwang Housing Project Responsive to Users’ Spatial Behaviors

Huai Khwang Housing is a public residential project, developed since 1972 in a fringe area of Bangkok at that time. The city has been gradually expanding, so now Huai Khwang Housing turns to be in the center of the city. There is a subway station 400 meters away from the site; therefore, the land value and potentials of this housing project has been increased. However, the physical conditions of the buildings are rather rundown since they have been utilizing for more than 50 years. The National Housing Authority of Thailand, the owner of this residence, has a plan to redevelop this housing project. The preliminary public hearing was set to inform the community about the future changes and intend to receive the opinions from the residents, who are elderlies residing in this community since it was built. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the spatial behavior of elderly residents in this housing. The methods used include interviews and observations. The results show that the housing units are used in multi-functions and the spatial requirements include storage areas, a smell-locked and partitioning cooking area, a ventilating and sun-drying area for laundry, and spaces for air-conditioning units as well as satellite discs and washing machines. It is suggested that the redevelopment housing scheme should meet these requirements.

Mitigating Pro-Poor Housing Failures: Access Theory and the Politics of Urban Governance

Looking at evolving urban governance and planning practices in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, the article aims to understand—from an Evolutionary Governance Theory perspective—to what extent these practices steer paths and modes of service provision and housing for low-income residents. With a focus on the endurance and transformations of urban governance practices and institutions, we first explore the influence of the changing development discourse and the impact it has had on the (re)configuration of urban governance and housing policies in Lahore. Second, drawing on extensive fieldwork and empirical data collected between 2012 and 2016, we highlight three vignettes depicting the development of different housing options for low-income residents in Lahore, i.e., a government-steered subsidised housing scheme, a privately developed ‘pro-poor’ settlement in the peri-urban fringe of the city, and residential colonies already—or in the process of being—regularised. By analysing the relationship between governance frameworks, the establishment of the three types of settlements and how residents manage to access housing and services there, we demonstrate how purposive deregulation in governance and policy generates a disconnect between urban normative frameworks (i.e., urban planning tools and pro-poor housing policies) and residents’ needs and everyday practices. We argue that this highly political process is not exclusively path-dependent but has also allowed the creation of liminal spaces based on agency and collective action strategies of low-income residents.