SHEIKH SARAI HOUSING & LAURIE BAKER LOW COST CONSTRUCTION.pdf

Housing

1. LOW COST
HOUSING
CASE STUDY:
SHEIKH
SARAI
HOUSING
NEW DELHI,
1972-82

2. INTRODUCTION

3. INTRODUCTION
Inexpensive to build
Save money while also maintaining
building quality
Not sacrificing the strength,
performance and life of the structure
Takes less time in building in
comparison to the conventional ones
Use of resources while not harming
the environment
Final result should be affordable for
most people

4. WHY DO WE NEED
LOW COST
HOUSES?
Growing population day by day
Affordable housing for BPL people
We need a solution that is fast
Easy to build
Fulfills the needs of conventional
houses
Our country aims that in our near
future each and every individual has
his/her shelter for his family and to
fulfill this need we definitely need
some immediate plans

5. LOW COST HOUSING CONCEPT
Lowcosthousingisconsideredaconceptofreductioninthecostof
constructionwithoutsacrificingthestrengthrequiredforthe
performanceofthebuilding.
Constructionispossiblewiththeuseoflowcostbuildingmaterialsand
planning.
ACCEPTANCE OF LOW COST HOUSING CONCEPT
•Lowhousingconcepthasstillnotbeenacceptedbymajorityof
architectsandengineers.
•Possiblereasons:
•Simple(architecturalfeaturesmakeitcostly)
•Lowspecifications(richspecificationsmakeitcostly)
•Lowacceptabilityamongmiddleincomegroupandhighincomegroup
people
MISCONCEPTIONS
•Low cost housing is based on
inferior specifications, low
quality and produces sub
standard work.
•Low cost housing is only for
the poor.

6. RAJ REWAL –
SHEIKH SARAI GROUP
HOUSING, NEWDELHI
1972-82

7. RAJ REWAL -SHEIKH
SARAI GROUP HOUSING,
NEWDELHI, 1972-82
Project Name: SHEIKH SARAI
HOUSING
Location: New Delhi, India
Year of Construction: 1982
Area: 35 acres
Total No. of Units: 550
Density: 100 apartments/ha
Climate: Semi arid with high variation
in summer and winter. Monsoon in
summer months.
Client: Delhi Development Authority
(DDA)
Architect: Raj Rewal

8. •First experiment carried out by Raj Rewal on the
theme of social housing applied to such a large-scale
site.
•It fits into a context marked by the absence of
symbolic elements characterizing the site, as it is
peripheral to the center of New Delhi.
•In this case Rewal works in the southern expansion
area of the city, building a complex consisting of 550
apartments.
•Promoted by the DDA (Delhi Development
Authority) this low-rise high-density scheme for
550 units is designed on the basis of self-financing
scheme for Delhi Development Authority.
RAJ REWAL -SHEIKH SARAI GROUP HOUSING

9. THE FIRM : RAJ REWAL ASSOCIATES
•Raj Rewal Associates is based in Delhi and has been in
practice for the last 35 years.
•The architectural firm has been acclaimed for its housing
projects and urban design and public buildings.
•The organization has normally fourteen to eighteen
architects and the general strength of the office varies from
twenty two to twenty six persons, which includes engineers,
technicians, model makers and administrators.
•The diverse design portfolio of the firm includes the Pragati
Maidan Exhibition Complex-New Delhi, The French
Embassy Staff Quarters-New Delhi, The Sheikh Sarai
Housing for the Delhi Development Authority-New Delhi,
the Asian Games Village-New Delhi etc.

10. DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
•DDAisresponsibleforplanning,developmentandconstruction
ofHousingProjects,CommercialLands,LandManagementetc.
•DDAmasterplanincludestheidentificationofnewlandthatcan
bedevelopedintoresidentialpropertiesandmakeself-contained
coloniesbyprovidingamplecommercialofficeandretail
complexesaswell.
•Itlaysdownthebasicinfrastructurerequirementsforacity
estimatedtohaveapopulationof128lakhs(12.8million).
•ThedevelopmentofhousingprojectsbyDDAprovidesthebasic
amenitieslikeelectricity,watersupply,sewagedisposal,andother
infrastructurefacilities.

11. SCHEME OF THE PROJECT
•According to the Master Plan, the Sheikh Sarai area was designated for the development of a mix of LIG, MIG and HIG
housing units.
•However, due to financial constraints, the DDA introduced a new category of housing known as the Self-Financing
Scheme (SFS).
•Within this scheme, the allotteeshad to pay for their units in five installments over the period of construction of the
units.
•Persons registered for a unit were placed in a lottery and could state their preferences for unit type, layout and location.
•These requirements, and the fact that it was financially viable, caused the DDA to build a mix of MIG and SFS units in
Sheikh Sarai.
•The consultant, Raj Rewal, was hired to design just one of the SFS units and not the pocket of MIG housing.
•for the SFS category, there is a registration fee of Rs. 10,000 -Rs. 15,000 (approximately U.S. $ 1,250 -1,875) which, in
effect, goes towards the first payment of the unit.

12. ❑“Self-financing project”is one that uses its own newly-developed collateral value to generate or
secure funding for further project development.
❑As an example ofgeneratingfunding: Suppose a residential condominium project has multiple
separate buildings. A construction loan is received for the first building, and its sold out and a 20%
profit is made. If the overall development plan calls for subsequent buildings, the profit can be plowed
back into the project to build the next building. This can go on for multiple rounds depending on sales
and how many more buildings there are to build.
❑As an example ofsecuringfunding, assume that it is to be operated as rental units. Once the first
building is built and occupancy is stabilized, the project can be refinanced with a permanent loan
(secured by the operating asset), pay off the construction loan in full, and use excess proceeds to equity
from the permanent loan funding to fund the construction of the subsequent buildings.
SELF-FINANCING SCHEME

13. •DDA floats Self Financing Scheme (payment is made at different stages of construction) from time to
•time.
•The information for which is given in leading newspapers.
•The allocation of flats is made by Computerized draw of lots, Demand-cum-allocation letters are sent to the successful
applicants through registered post.
•Schedule of payment is generally as under:
o25% of the estimated cost (including the amount paid as initial/registration deposit) within the period as indicated in the
demand-cum-allocation letter;
o20% of the estimated cost after six months;
o25% of the estimated cost after next six months;
o20% of the estimated cost after next six months;
o10% of the estimated cost, plus difference in the estimated cost and the actual cost at the time of issue of possession letter.
•Where allotment of a flat is made out of the flats offered in previous draws and where the flats have already been taken up
for construction, the successful allottees are required to pay more than one instalment, depending on the progress of
construction.
•In addition, an interest @ 10% p.a. is also charged on such instalment.
ALLOTMENT OF FLATS UNDER THE SELF-FINANCING SCHEMES

14. TARGET AUDIENCE –
•Affordable Housing built for medium and low income Groups
(M.I.G=annual income ~ 4000$-16000 $)
▪In the Self-Financing-scheme, the allotters had to pay in 5
installments over the period of the construction phase. This
allowed the housing authority to create mix of units and make
the project more economically viable.
The use of locally available material was intrinsic to the nature
of project and to further bring down the cost of the project.
AFFORDABILITY

15. Sharing Courtyard
DESIGN INSPIRATION
❑The design finds a connection with the historical realities of cities of
Udaipur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
❑It has the characteristic of urban fabric of India and which are
distinguished by the density of the town and for the close relationship
between open and closed spaces.
❑Itsegregatespedestrianandvehicularmovementandprovidesfor
interlinkedsquareofvaryingscalesforcommunityactivities.
❑Alltheunitshavebeenprovidedwithcourtyardsorrooftopterraces
thewallorparapetsofwhichhavenarrowslits(jalis)ensuringboth
privacyandgoodventilation.
RAJ REWAL -SHEIKH SARAI GROUP HOUSING

16. PLANNING

17. SITE
PLAN

18. PEDESTRIAN PATH
Pedestrian
visibility
Rest area
Connections
Aggregation
poles

19. SUBJECT
Complex of 550 residential apartments, on a plot surrounded by driveways connecting and bordering the residential
district Chirag Delhi and facilities of public Neighborhood Park and Sheikh Sarai Commercial Centre.
ORIENTATION
Prevailing direction accesses northeast southwest orientation buildings Northwest Southeast (perpendicular to the
prevailing direction)
SPACES
Area of intervention :38195 sq. meters ~ 3.82 ha
Build up Area : 12740 sq. meters ~ 1.2 ha
Surface parking lots: 6622 sq. meters ~ 0.66 ha
Green Areas : 3931 sq. meters ~ 0.39 ha
FLOOR PLANS
Dwelling units are grouped around a courtyard
Ground floor and First floor units are more spacious and have two bedrooms, while the upper flats have only one
bedroom
Each unit have some kind of terrace for essential activities of Indian domestic life.
PLANNING

20. CLUSTERS &UNITS –
Six different types of units ranging from 70-120 sq.m, organized in two
different clusters, 3 and 4 storey high.
The units have several variations in type, from 1-3 bedroom
apartments, although minor in each case,
The need for economy and design is apparent within the interior.
The units are compact without any ambiguity of space that comes from
having greater floor areas to negotiate from.
Despite the compactness of both units and clustering, every room is
well-ventilated and well-lit with an attached terrace for each unit.
PLANNING

21. THE BREAKUP OF THE UNITS WAS AS FOLLOWS:
•Category One -48 units (one bed);
•Category Two -557 units (two and three bed units);
•MIG -192 units (three rooms).
•Of these, Categories One and Two were part of the SFS.
•Raj Rewal was the architect for the units in Sector D only,
which consisted of Category Two units only
PLANNING

22. SHEIKH SARAI HOUSING
COMPLEX

23. HOUSING
DENSITY
EXTERNAL
ACCESS
AGGREGATIVE SPACES
GENERATING AXES

24. COMPOSITION ACCOMMODATIONS
▪The main type (B2) comprises 4 floors and consists of the following environments:
oLiving area, overlooking 2 fronts
oService areas and kitchen
oSleeping area
oTerraces.
▪Each floor has one apartment, except for the top two floors of the relevance of a
just accommodation.
TECHNOLOGY: load-bearing structure of beams and columns of reinforced
concrete with brick collision.
MATERIALS USED:
-surface coating in plaster with powdered slate, finishing in the rough, white color.
-Wood frames with white colour
-External paving blocks of local stone Garage
PLANNING

25. SECOND FLOOR
PLAN
FIRST FLOOR
PLAN
EXPLODED
AXONOMETRIC VIEW
(1:100)
COVER
PLAN
THIRD FLOOR
PLAN
GROUND FLOOR
PLAN

26. FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR
PLAN
Living room
Bedrooms
Kitchen
Bathroom
Entrance
Garage
Court
Terrace

27. SECOND FLOOR PLAN
THIRD FLOOR PLAN

28. ORIENTATION OF THE FACADES
SPATIAL COMPOSITION

30. VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
DESIGN

31. ▪In Sheikh Sarai housing project , the peripheral roads are connected to
parking squares.
▪The central spine of the layout is reserved for narrow ,shaded, pedestrian
pathways.
▪The layout plans follow traditional methods of creating shade and cross
ventilation.
▪URBAN SCAPE –At site level, The architect developed the project by
employing urban strategies of articulated flows, segregated spaces and applied
the same on the site level, resulting in a structured urban settlement .
URBAN FABRIC

32. STREETS:
•TheplansSheikhSaraiisbasedonsimilarnarrowshadedstreetslinkinga
varietyofclusters.
•Thestreetsarebrokenupintosmallunits,sotherearepauses,pointsof
restandchangingvistas.
CLUSTERS:
RajRewaldesignedhishousingschemesatSheikhSaraiasaseriesofdistrict
clusterswhichareinterrelated.
•Thebuildingsareunifiedbymeansofsimilarfaçadetreatment,using
sandstonegritrender,thepiercingofparapets,proportionsofdoors,deep
setwindows,andstoneflankingwallsforthecourtyard.
ROOFTERRACES:
Privateroofterracesandcourtyardsareanintegraldesigncomponentof
thehousingfortheSheikhSaraicomplex.
STREETS, CLUSTERS, ROOF TERRACES
Inner courtyard
Streets in Sheikh Sarai Complex

33. MOVEMENT AND FLOW –
Clear demarcation of vehicular and pedestrian streets, restricting the
vehicular flow to the peripheries with few access points along the road and
enhancing pedestrian flow along the central spine puncturing the built solids.
This defined the parking spaces and flow of traffic outside of the housing
clusters.
COMMUNITY SPACES –
Fostering shared spaces for the community by creating intimate courtyards
connected to each other, representing the traditional elements of Indian
Architecture.
The scale of these courtyards has been Manipulated towards increased social
activities and interaction amongst the resident community, serving as social
facilitators.
MOVEMENT, FLOW AND COMMUNITY SPACES

34. • An important aspect of this solution is the pattern of interrelated squares of an intimate scale
that has been created.
• While there is a clear demarcation between pedestrian and vehicular spaces within these, the
movement of people within the enclosures has been closely aligned with the access points for
vehicles on the periphery.
• The scale of the various squares has been adjusted to encourage and to serve different
community activities.
• Although the structure is of reinforced concrete posts and beams, the walls are of brick infill
covered with roughcast plaster.
• This is customary for economical mass housing in the region, and allows for some modification
by the users.
DESIGN DETAILS

35. BUILT FABRIC
Low-Rise High-density walk-up apartments, clustered to
create internal shaded streets linked by gateways and
open courtyards (traditional Indian architectural
elements) for public use to resemble a traditional urban
settlement, and as an expression of style of the architect.
The gateways, a common feature within the project
enabled high level of transparency despite being a high-
density development rendering it legible for the users.

36. COST OF
CONSTRUCTION
The projected cost for the
construction of the units was Rs
1200 per square meter which
escalated to Rs. 1600 per square
meter.
The Category Two units
projected at Rs. 75,000 were,
therefore, handed over at Rs.
1,25,000 and the Category Three
units from Rs. 1,30,000 to Rs.
1,80,000.

37. •The DDA employed consultant skills only for the more expensive type of units.
•From the point of view of the prospective buyer, a registration fee of Rs. 10,000 to
15,000, a sizable investment for any middleclass household, has to be based on some
incentive in the form of a set of prepared unit designs and layouts from which to choose.
•The most plausible explanation has to do with the financial feasibility of hiring a
consultant for the most expensive category of DDA housing.
•The consultation fee of 2.75 percent that Raj Rewal was paid for the project was justified,
for the DDA, as is it was covered by the higher selling price of the units.
•The expense of hiring a consultant was not borne by the DDA but by the buyers of the
housing units. The DDA, instead, were able to add a much acclaimed housing project to
their credit.
HOW DDA WAS BENEFITED ?

38. 'COMPENSATION' FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES
•UnusualmethodofpaymentwasemployedbytheDDAforSheikhSarai.
•TheydecidedtopayRajRewalinsixinstallmentsatthestagesof:
•primarydesign,
•finalizationofdesign,and
•completionoftheconstruction.
•Thefeesweresettledat2.75percentofthecostofconstruction.
•However,thispercentagewasnottobepaidonthecostoftheentireprojectbuthadaspecificbreak-up.
•Thearchitectwastobepaid2.75percentofthecostofthefirstfiftyunitsandonehalfpercentofthe
costoftheremainingunitsiftheirdesignremainedthesame.
•RajRewal,however,builttheblocksingroupsoffiftytosixtyunitswithminorvariationswithineach
group.Thus,thisearnedhimafeeof2.75percentonthecostoftheentireproject.

39. •TheDDAfeltthatitwasanunnecessarybonusinthedesignofhousingtobepaidapercentageof
thecostoftheentireprojectiftherewerenovariationsinthedesignoftheunits.
•Bytyingupthefeestodesignvariations,theywereensuringthatmoneywasnotspenton
undeservingdesignefforts.
•Iftheydidenduppayingthefeeonthecostoftheentireproject,asintheSheikhSaraiproject,itwas
justifiedintheirviewbythegreatervarietyofunitdesigns.
•TotheDDA,then,thismodeofpaymentwasaneconomicsafetymeasureagainstunduepayments.
•Forthearchitect,itprovidedanincentivetobringinvariationsinunittypeanddesign.
•Thearchitect'scommentsimpliedthatthecompensationbytheDDAdidnotadequatelycoverthe
costofdesigningthevariationsinunits.However,thearchitects'feeswerenegotiatedbetweenthe
DDAandthearchitectattheoutsetoftheproject,whenhewasawardedthecommission.
ABOUT THE PAYMENT METHOD

40. LAURIE BAKER
LOW COST HOUSING

41. LAURIE BAKER: ARCHITECT OF THE POOR
•Laurie baker was an award-winning British-born Indian architect,
renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient
architecture and for his unique space utilization and simple but
beautiful aesthetic sensibility.
•In time he made a name for himself both in sustainable architecture
as well as in organic architecture.
•He went to India in 1945 in part as a missionary and since then
lived and worked in India for over 50 years.
•He obtained Indian citizenship in 1989 and resided in Trivandrum,
Kerala, since 1970, where he later set up an organization called
COSTFORD (center of science and technology for rural
development), for spreading awareness for low cost housing.

42. LAURIE BAKER: ARCHITECT OF THE POOR
•Baker studied architecture in Birmingham and graduated in
1937, aged 20, in a period of political unrest for Europe.
•During WII, he served in the Friends Ambulance Unit in China
and Burma.
•Worked as an architect for an international and
interdenominational Mission dedicated to the care of those
suffering from leprosy.
•Focused on converting or replacing asylums once used to
house the suffers of the disease-“lepers”.
•Used indigenous architecture and methods of these places as
means to deal with his once daunting problems.

43. CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA
•Worked as an Architect for international mission
(LEPROSY MISSION)
•Focused on converting and replacing slums.
•Met & inspired Gandhiji.
•“Cost Conscious Construction”
•Built many public buildings, schools, anganwadis,
hospitals, hotels, resorts, eco restorations.
•used different construction techniques to reduce
cost and remain the strength of building.

44. •Bakers ability to sketch was one of the main reason he never learnt Indian
languages since whenever people didn't understand English he would whip
out his diary and scribble a quick sketch to explain what he meant.
SKETCES BY LAURIE BAKER

45. CONCEPTS AND STYLE OF BAKER
Designing and building low cost, high quality,
beautiful homes
Suited to or built for lower-middle to lower class
clients.
Bakers architectural method is of improvisation.
Initial drawings have only an idealistic link to the
final construction, with most of the
accommodations and design choices being made
on-site by the architect himself.
Baker was often seen rummaging through salvage
heaps looking for suitable building materials, door
and window frames.

46. His responsiveness to never-identical site
conditions quite obviously allowed for
the variation that permeates his work.
His respect for nature led him to let the
idiosyncrasies of a site inform his
architectural improvisations, rarely is a
topography line marred or a tree
uprooted.
This saves construction cost as well,
since working around difficult site
conditions is much more cost-effective
than clear-cutting
CONCEPTS AND STYLE OF BAKER

47. ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES
•Cost-effectiveness
•Using locally available
materials
•Respect for nature
•Avoidance of energy-intensive
materials
•Wastage minimization to
create low-cost, beautiful, high
quality buildings

48. LAURIE BAKER’ GUIDELINES FOR LOW COST HOUSING
Modernhouse:
•“cubist”indesign
•usesalotofcementplaster&
paint.
•roofdoesnotprotectthewalls
fromrainandsun
The“Oldfashioned”house
•slopingroofprotectswalls
dampnessandheatabsorption.
•Jalis-cheaperandgive
permanentventilationandlight
andprotectionorsecurity.
•Less expensive to build
house in the middle of
the terrace.
•Extra and more costly
foundation and
basement wall-if the
building is near the
edge of the terrace.
•Less excavation
and less filling
needed if the
building is
parallel to the
contours.
•Built in seats, beds,
work tables etc. can
easily and
inexpensively be had,
merely by building the
basement wall to a
suitable height
•A good roof overhang
instead of sunshades of
reinforced concrete.
For single and double storey
houses it is better to put the
outer side of 9" brick wall flush
with the outer side of the 18"
stone wall

49. SMALL flat-roofed boxes in long
rows absorb a lot of heat from the
sun.
Pitched roofs absorb less heat and of
course still less heat is absorbed if
fruit shade trees are grown on the
south and west side of houses.
The arrangementof
buildingsneednotbe
symmetricalnorneedallthe
unitsbeofthesamesizeor
areaorshape.
Ifpossible,acourtyardtype
ofarrangementhasa
numberofadvantagesovera
roworlineofbuildings.
•3 equal size houses on 3 equal
size plots
•same 3 equal size houses built
as one block –giving much
more open land though the area
is the same as 3 plots.
•Plan of a stonewall as it is usually built,
with big flat-faced stones on the
outside filled in with bits and pieces in
the middle.
•The lower plan shows how stones
should be bonded, that is they dovetail
in with stones on the other side of the
wall and therefore give a much
stronger and more durable wall.
•A properly bonded stonewall hardly
needs mortar, and certainly a mud
mortar is adequate.

50. COST EFFECTIVE
TECHNIQUES

51. PLANNING OFSPACE
Lesserwalls,multipleusesofspace,shortspansof
roof,agglomerationofbuildingservices,flexibilityin
growth.
LOCALBUILDINGMATERIAL
•Bricks,tiles,lime,surkhi,timber,thatch,stone,
palm,mud.
•Theuseoflocalmaterialseliminatestransport
costs.
ATTENTIONTODETAILS
•Eliminateunnecessarydetailsfromthedesign.
•Burntmudbricksvaryslightlyinshapeand
color.Thesesmallvariationsgivetremendous
charactertoawallmadeofthousandsofbricks
TECHNIQUES

52. FILLER SLAB
Advantages
•20-35% Less materials
•Decorative, Economical & Reduced self-load
•Almost maintenance free
•25-30% Cost Reduction
Filler slabs employ replacing un-productive
concrete by a Filler material which reduces the
weight of the slab and also the cost by
reducing the amount of concrete used.
Also, since the weight of the slab is thus
reduced, lesser steel is required for
reinforcement, further reducing the cost.

53. •AnalternativetoFlemishbond
•Thisdouble-walltechniqueusesbricksonedgewith
acrossbrickbetweeneachandproducesa9-inch
thickwallwithaninsulatingaircavityinbetween.
•15%ofcostcanbereducedwithoutcompromising
thequality,strengthandappearances.
•Cavityaddsanadvantagetohelpmaintainimproved
thermalcomfortandkeeptheinteriorscolderthan
outsideandviceversa.
RAT TRAP BONDS
Advantages
•Stronger bond
•Minimized use of bricks
•Insulation
•Cost reduction
•Load reduction

54. BRICK JALIS
•A perforated screen made of
bricks with regular openings
•Utilizes natural air movement to
cool the homes interior and
create intricate patterns of light
and shadow.
•One of his most characteristic
feature and vernacular solution
to all his buildings

55. ARCHES
•The simplest and economical way of spanning
of an opening.
•Stepped or the corbelled arch used where
bricks on each course are cantilevered out a
few inches.
•Eliminates tensile stresses and all the forces
are resolved into compressive stresses.
•This is useful because several of the available
building materials such as stone, cast iron and
concrete can strongly resist compression but
are very weak when tension, shear or
torsional stress is applied to them.

56. JACK ARCH
Advantage
•Energy saving & Eco-Friendly
compressive roofing.
•Decorative & Highly Economical
•Maintenance free
Provides support at openings in the
masonry.
Not semicircular in form, instead, they
are flat in profile and are used under
the same circumstances as lintels.

57. MASONRY DOME
•Advantages
•Energy saving eco-friendly compressive roof.
•Decorative & Highly Economical for larges spans.
•Maintenance free
Have a great deal of structural strength
when properly built and can span large
open spaces without interior supports.
FUNICULAR SHELL
•Analternatetorccroofs
•Compressionstructure,whichutilizewastematerials
effectivelyandoptimizetheuseofexpensivesteeland
cement.
•Gridoffunicularshellgivestheillusionofalargerspace.
•Allowsefficientuseofwastematerialsandprovides
personality,colorandtexture.
•Minimizesrequirementofinternalplasters.
•Providesroofingatalowercost.

58. •With gables and vents
•Allows hot air to escape.
•Mangalore tile shingling-light and
inexpensive
CURVED WALLS
More volume at lower cost than a
straight wall.
LATTICE WINDOWS
•Achieved privacy
•Allows glare free light in to workspace
SLOPING ROOFS
Gable
TECHNIQUES

59. Bakercreatedacooling
systembyplacingahigh,
latticed,brickwallneara
pondthatusesair
pressuredifferencesto
drawcoolairthroughthe
building
Water body
Brick Jali
TECHNIQUES

60. Minimizingappliedfinisheslikeplastering,painting,
polishing,etc.
Mostofthebuildingblocks,viz.Countryburnt
bricks,stone,andconcreteblocks,etc.have
pleasingcolorandtextureandarequitecapableof
resistingadverseweather.
Therefore,plastercanbecompletelyavoided
withoutaffectingthestrengthofthestructure.
Incasebrightersurfacesarerequired,afewcoast
oflimewashcanbeapplieddirectlyonthe
masonrysurface.
FINISHES

61. •Filler Slab
•Use of Rat Trap Bond
•Corbelling
•Arches
•Brick Jali
•Frameless Door
and Window
•Terracotta Roofing

62. CASE STUDY:
FISHERMAN’S VILLAGE-
POONTHURA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
CASE STUDY:

63. Poonthura,afishingvillagenearTrivandrumalongtheKerala
coast,harboursapopulationofabout10,000peopleinabout
2000familiesinanareaofabout0.8sq.km.
Almost86%ofthefamiliesdependdirectlyorindirectlyon
fishingfortheirlivelihood.
AbypassofNationalHighway47passesthroughPoonthura,
onitswaytoKovalam.
BusesbothprivateandownedbyKeralaStateRoadTransport
CorporationplytoPoonthurafromeastfort
Itisalsoconnectedbybustootherpartsofthecity.
ThiruvananthapuramInternationalAirportisaround6km
fromPoonthura
LOCATION

64. LIFESTYLE OF PEOPLE
Thevillageischaracterizedbyaveryhighdensityofpopulationalongthecoast
andismadeupofalargenumberofhousesclusteredtogetherandoccupying
thecoastalfringesofthestate.
Itissituatednearthecoast,withaseriesofbackwaterscuttingacrossthe
housingclusters.
Thepeopleofthevillagearefromvariousreligiousbackgrounds,whohave
settledincommunalgroups.However,ithasamajorityofChristianpopulation
and,hence,hasreceivedalotofwelfareaidformtheChristianmissionaries.
Beingatribalsociety,thepeoplearebynatureinsularandhadawell-defined
familyandcasteorganization.
Constructionofhousingisconsideredtobeacommunityactivityand,hence,
themediationofanoutsidearchitectisverydifficult.
Moreover,thedifficultenvironmentinwhichthetribalsliveandthelimitations
oftheirresourceshasledtoalong-termneglectofdevelopmentactivitiesinthis
area.

65. The human being was central in his scheme of things for architect Laurie Baker.
He never considered them as categories like tribal, fisherman, HIG, EWS etc.
Even at the height of his fame he was pleased to work for the people of
Poonthura.
Baker realised the difficulties of dealing with large insular groups with set ideas
and tradition.
He didn’t have much time to study the project and he wanted to put up
permanent houses as soon as possible
IDEOLOGY OF THE ARCHITECT

66. CHALLENGES
FACED PRIOR TO
REDEVELOPMENT
Severity of environment in which the tribal’s live.
Limitation of resources
Conventional architects stayed away from these
projects
Dealing with large insular groups, with set ideas
and traditions
Dealing with cyclones

67. DESIGN
Exposed brickwork and
structure
Sloped concrete roof
Openness in design and
individual units offset each other
Continuous latticework in the
exposed walls
Introduced concrete slabs
Proposed elevation

68. DEALING WITH
CYCLONE
Low sloped roofsand courts serve as wind catchers
Open walls function to dispel it
Long row of housing replaced by even staggering
Fronting courtscatch the breeze and also get view of sea

69. OPEN SPACES
Little private rectangle of land in
between houses for drying nets and
kid’s play.
Since a good part of a fisherman’s life
is spent out of doors, the court
function admirably-providing sleeping
lofts within and adequate space
outside for mending nets and cleaning
and drying fish.

70. The layout was organized by staggering the placement of the 47 odd
housing units to create pockets of community spaces and changing
vistas long a circulation spine that was crossing the plot.
As compared to the long rows of conventional housing the uniqueness
of this plan was the openness of the design and the way the individual
housing units offset each other.
Toilets of the houses have openings from outside which might be
reflecting the culture of village or community.
Storeroom physically divides the sitting space into multiple areas which
can be used accordingly by the residents
Sleeping areas at top level could be a solution to have warmer
temperatures or might be the practice of village people
The kitchen has a chimney on top representing use of firewood, which
requires low/ no wind areas.
OBSERVATIONS

71. •The materials used for
construction were exposed
brickwork laid in a rat-trap bond
and concrete filler slab roofs.
•The exposed brick jali work
catches the breeze and circulates
it within.
•As opposed to the sloping roof
that Mr. Baker had provided in
his designs, COSTFORD provided
well-drained flat terraces over the
houses, which provided more
recreational spaces and made
provision for future vertical
expansion. In 2000 the
construction of leach pits outside
the toilets was undertaken, which
was completed in 2001.
MATERIALS

72. DEMERITS
The design proposal has 2 prototypes which are repeated in
a lateral form.
multiple prototypes could have been designed in order to
suffice different groups of people.
The design does not respond to the people from community
sense or the identity of a clan which leaves it soulless.
Besides the houses, there was little else on the site.

73. INNITIATIVES BY LAURIE BAKER
•Thefisherfolkoriginallylivedintraditionalthatchhouses,whichwouldgetblownaway
bythecyclonicwindspracticallyeverymonsoon.Thiswouldgenerallybefollowedbya
pouringofreliefaidandmaterialforrehabilitation.
•WhenMr.Bakerwasputinchargeofthehousingproject,hereasonedoutthatthe
amountspenteveryyearonrehabilitationcouldbedirectlyusedintheconstructionof
permanenthouses,designedandorientedtocountertheeffectsofthecyclone.The
villagersweredistressedbythestormsituationandsothehouseshadtobebuiltas
quicklyaspossible.
•Hence,withthesupportoftheformerChiefMinister,Mr.A.C.Menon,Mr.Baker
proceededtosurvey,designandbuildonnewlyacquiredsite.
•Theattemptmadebyhimwastoovercometheinabilityofanoutsidertocomprehend
theunderlyingpatternsofatribalgroupandtobeabletorespondtoitsprivateneeds.

74. SCHEME OF THEPROJECT
•ThissowedtheseedsofCOSTFORD’srelationshipwiththisvillage.CentreofScienceand
TechnologyForRuralDevelopment(COSTFORD)isaThrissurcity-basednon-governmental
organizationthatgivestechnologicalassistancetopeopleinalternativebuildingtechnology.Over
timeCOSTFORDhasintervenedinthisvillagebywayofdifferenthousingschemes.
•In1996,underthedecentralizedplanningscheme,launchedbythestategovernment,
COSTFORDwasgivenchargetoprovidemorehousesinthisvillage.Aspertheproceduresofthe
Totalhousingscheme,therewasnotenderingprocessforthecontractandtheGramPanchayat
ofthevillagedirectlyallottedtheprojectstoCOSTFORD.
•Thepeopleofthissettlementwereoriginallylivingintemporaryshedsmadeofpalmleavesand
thatchandlikemostofthemodern-dayvillagers,theyaspiredforabrickandconcretepermanent
house.TheiraspirationsweremetwhenthegovernmentallottedthemhousingundertheTotal
HousingScheme.
•Theyweregivenafullsubsidyanddidnothavetocontributeanymoney.

75. DECENTRALIZED PLANNING SCHEME
•DecentralizedPlanningisatypeofplanningwherelocalorganizationsand
institutionsformulate,adopt,executeactionsandsupervisetheplan.
•Decentralizationmeanstransferofcertainauthorityandpowerinthematterof
formulationandimplementationofdevelopmentplansfromthehighestorganizationor
institutionatthenationallevelorstateleveltoorganizationsorinstitutionsatthesub-
statelevel.
•Thelowerlevel,whichincludesdistrict,blockandpanchayatwillhaveaparticularrolein
theplanningexerciseandwillbevestedwiththepowersandtheresponsibilities
associatedwiththerole.
•Inatrulydecentralizedsituationsuchpowerwillincludethepowertodeterminegoals
andtargetsandtoraiseresourceslocally.

76. TOTAL HOUSING SCHEME
•The fishermen housing scheme was promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1985-86 to
encourage construction of houses both In rural and urban areas; for the low income
community among the fishermen
•The aim was to provide houses to the needy by availing the required fund by way of loans
instead of waiting for the availability of fund for ten or twenty years.
•The strategy was to repay the loans by utilizing the future plan funds and the repayment of
amounts by the beneficiaries.
•Unit cost of a house was Rs35000 of which loan assistance was Rs30,000.Total estimated cost
of the project was Rs8961.6 lakhs in Thiruvananthapuram which was financed by Kerala State
Co-operative Bank.

77. INITIATIVES OF COSTFORD
•COSTFORD’s attempt was to try and integrate this housing layout with the rest of the village.
•The layout was organized by staggering the placement of the 47 odd housing units to create pockets of community
spaces and changing vistas along a circulation spine that was crossing the plot.
•As compared to the long rows of conventional housing the uniqueness of this plan was the openness of the design and
the way the individual housing units offset each other. They attempted to create little private rectangles of land in
between the houses where the people could dry their nets and the kids could play.
•Moreover, the staggering profile of the street ensured that the cyclonic wind met no resistance and could pass over the
houses.
•The individual housing units had to be made in each fixed area stipulated by the government. But, here too
COSTFORD crested numerous plan options, all within the given area. Wherever felt necessary, a second storey was
added to free up ground space and create visual interest.
•The plans essentially consisted of a living room, a bedroom and a kitchen, with the provision of a small open backyard
for their outdoor cooking requirements. Since a good part of a fisherman’s life is spent out of doors adequate spaces
were also provided outside, as front yards, for mending nets and cleaning and drying the fish.

78. TODAY’S STATE OF THE VILLAGE
The village has changed drastically since the population
growth has increased.
People have now built houses based on their affordability
and lifestyle.
The rapid change has uprooted the original planned houses
and blended it with several structures surrounding it.
The government of Kerala is planning to rehabilitate the
people of the village to provide better living conditions, but
the community refuses it as it may hamper their culture and
lifestyle
Open areas used for drying
in the village
Existing housing of the village

79. CONCLUSION
The intent of design was pure and had an outlook towards wellbeing of the people.
It was a solution of old age practice of using wrong traditional materials.
Laurie thus in compliance to the extreme weather introduced concrete slabs to give fisherman a
pucca house.
Concrete roof used for sustaining against cyclone and exposed brickwork to suit the climate seemed
an appropriate solution.
The pockets of open spaces within the residence borders added function to those open spaces
instead of demarcating them.

80. THANK YOU