Low-cost housing for developing countries: an analysis of the design process

Abstract

The subsequent data, analysis and case study is an attempt to clarify architectural approaches to meeting housing shortages in developing nations. This thesis is directed towards providing a greater understanding of the Third World building environment by examining unforeseen constraints, design parameters and the architect's new role vis-a-vis housing design for developing countries, as well as design approaches and strategies related to the housing problem in the developing world. These aspects of low-cost housing design in developing nations have been distilled into a process of design which is intended to further define a direction an architect can pursue in order to arrive at a feasible design solution regarding low-cost housing in developing countries. As a conclusion, the thesis provides a frame of reference to the previous analysis with a case study of the Dominican Republic, describing the country itself, its housing problem and some design proposals put forward by regional architects as a part of an international seminar on housing sponsored by the Dominican housing organization, CII-VIVIENDAS.

Chapters one, two and three approach the topic of low-cost housing in developing countries as an analysis of the broadest architectural considerations.

Chapter one, "Design Constraints for Low-Cost Housing in Developing Countries" introduces the initial design considerations of building conditions in the developing world from the perspective of an architect trained in the construction practices of the more advanced industrial nations. In comparison to the conventional architectural environment of the developed nations, the limited construction resources of developing nations constitute severe building constraints. These constraints are examined.

Chapter two, "Summary of Design Parameters for Developing Countries" derives design guidelines from the architectural constraints of chapter one.

Chapter three. "Housing Design for Developing Countries: New Architectural Roles, New Design Approaches & New Design Process" supplements the analysis of the first two chapters with a review of current architects' design responses to the rigid building parameters inherent in low-cost housing design for developing countries.

Chapter four, "A Case Study of the Dominican Republic: Country & Housing Characteristics" provides a frame of reference for the previous analysis with information concerning the country, the architectural influences and the housing data of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic suffers from housing problems typical to most developing countries.

Chapter five. "Dominican Low-Cost Housing Seminar: Possible Low-Cost Housing Solutions for the Dominican Republic" concludes the thesis with a synthesis of the analysis and the case study. The synthesis is presented in terms of the diverse solutions to the housing shortage of the Dominican Republic reached by the participants of a low-cost housing seminar in the Dominican Republic. The seminar held in the winter of 1985 included foreign participants from both developed and developing countries in addition to the native Dominican participants. The design options described at the conclusion of chapter five are reflective of the current paths of low-cost housing development.