Open House International

Diacon, Diane

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0001

For twenty years the World Habitat Award competition organised by the Building and Social Housing Foundation has identified innovative and long-lasting solutions to housing problems faced by countries of the global South as well as the North. Included in this special edition of Open House International are eighteen housing projects which demonstrate successful approaches to some of the most prevalent housing problems in the world today. These are all winners or finalists in the competition over the last five years. A brief description is provided of each project, together with a summary of the key innovative approaches used. Details are provided at the end of each chapter as to where further information can be obtained.

Estívarez, Oscar Lijerón

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0002

The chagas disease is a parasitic illness affecting the rural poor in the high Andes of Latin America. There are no known vaccines or medicines and it is one of Bolivia's most serious health problems. In 1993 Fundacion Pro Habitat (FPH) initiated an integrated eradication programme of community-based education, training and physical housing improvements. Twelve years later regions with high rates of the disease are now becoming fully free of the vector that causes it and almost 20,000 dwellings have been improved. The approach has legislative support through the National Healthy Housing Programme and is being replicated by other NGOs.

Rodrigues, Marcelo Kehdi Gomes; Netto, Adelcke Rossetto

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0003

Celso Garcia, 787, one of the many derelict buildings in the centre of São Paulo, was converted into housing for 84 low-income families. Members of the ULC popular housing movement occupied the vacant former bank branch and, with technical support from the Integra Interdisciplinary Work Cooperative, converted the building into affordable apartments. The project works toward the reversal of the process of exodus from the city centre, proposing housing alternatives in central areas that have lost part of their population in the last several years yet remain rich in urban infrastructure.

MacKenzie, Elizabeth

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0004

The co-housing concept originated in Denmark in the late 1960s as an alternative to traditional housing models. There are four characteristics common to most co-housing projects: participatory process, intentional neighborhood design, extensive common facilities and complete resident management. Quayside Village Co-housing is located in North Vancouver, British Columbia and has provided nineteen dwelling units in a mix of townhouses and stacked apartments around a central courtyard which functions as the heart of the community.

Diacon, Diane

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0005

Established as a pilot programme in 1994, the Architect in the Community Programme now covers the whole of Cuba, providing affordable technical support to households who are building or renovating their homes on a self-help basis. The programme is self-funding and has to date been used by over 500,000 households. The participative design approach that it uses provides households with skills and confidence as well as better living conditions. It has an international reputation for its work and the experience has been transferred to other countries in Latin America and beyond.

Christensen, Kurt Kjærgard

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0006

The renovation of the Hedebygade urban block started in 1994. With a total of 150 apartments, this project was the largest environmentally sustainable urban renovation project in Denmark or northern Europe. The total cost was €50 million (US$62 million). In addition, the Danish government provided funding for the restoration to be used as an ecological demonstration and experiment project, including 12 individual sub-projects highlighting different aspects of environmentally sustainable renovation.

Martinez, Edin

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0007

FUNDASAL's housing reconstruction programme demonstrates how successful community development can result from rebuilding after a devastating earthquake. Appropriate earthquake resistant housing designs have been developed and training is provided in construction and maintenance techniques, as well as business and community leadership skills. To date, 6,472 houses have been completed with households providing the labour. Secure title has been provided where necessary and 1,400 small businesses have been established, many led by women. The local municipalities have been actively involved throughout and welcome the increasing citizen participation that has resulted from the programme.

Pandya, Yatin

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0008

Gandhi-Nu-Gam:Ludiya is a typical traditional village in the Kutchchh region of Gujarat, India which was devastated by an earthquake in 2001. Its holistic rehabilitation by the Vastu Shilpa Foundation and Manav Sadhna includes socio-cultural and economic systems and house forms which ensure and maintain the continuum of suddenly disrupted traditions. A participatory development process involved the residents in all decisions concerning choice of relocation site, settlement pattern, clustering, choice of dwelling location, type and construction and provision of amenities, as well as environmental management. Infrastructure improvements such as check-dams, toilets, solar-cell electrification and smokeless-stoves were also carried out.

Madiath, Joe

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0009

By reinforcing the concept of community, a unique development process has been set off in villages of Orissa, one of the poorest states in India. The fundamentals of the programme require 100% participation from all villagers with clearly defined stakes and mechanisms for institutional and financial sustainability. The programme shows how something as basic as drinking water and sanitation is able to coalesce and bind divergent strands within communities, creating new relationship dynamics between men and women, and different sections of the communities, thereby helping to trigger new strands of development.

Iwamura, Kazuo

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0010

This rebuilding of a social housing complex in Tokyo was carried out as the first model practice of Japan's national policy drive entitled “Environmentally Symbiotic Housing”. Inaugurated in 1990, this policy was designed to cope with a range of environmental issues including global warming. As well as including various measures of environmentally conscious design, the project design team made efforts to focus on discovering the local context, including the lifestyle of the residents and the socio-cultural aspects of the local community. There has been sustained involvement of the residents in all stages of the design, construction and on-going management and maintenance of their homes.

Almazán, Cristina

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0011

This incremental housing programme combines resources from participating families with traditional joint savings schemes and micro-credit to help those who have no access to formal credit to build new homes or improve their existing accommodation. Families are involved in the design process of their homes and training is provided in self-help construction methods. The construction process is phased to avoid families becoming financially overstretched. The consolidation of community organisation and solidarity, the empowerment of women and development of savings capacity are important elements of this well-established programme that has to date funded the construction and/or improvement of over 800 homes in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Rahman, Perween

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0012

The Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute's (OPP-RTI) work is based on the observation that poor people everywhere when faced by problems do not sit idle, but take initiatives, from lobbying to self help, be it for housing, infrastructure, education, security, health or employment. Some technical and organisational guidance and in some cases, credit is needed to strengthen people's work leading to confidence building and a process of partnerships in development. What began from supporting self-help sewers and housing in the informal settlement of Orangi in Karachi has now extended to many cities and sectors, influencing government policy.

Wilfredo, Prilles

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0013

Initiated in 1989, the KsK programme (literally Partners in Development) shows how a tri-partite approach of pooling resources and capabilities of private landowners, city and central government and the poor can be used to improve urban living conditions. Strong political will and an enlightened perception of the poor has enabled a city government to reduce poverty, manage urbanisation and improve quality of life in urban areas. Eighty-one per cent of the 7,400 low-income houses have been improved to date. Strong community participation has been a vital factor in achieving this success.

Hermanson, Judith

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0014

Faced with a dearth of affordable housing opportunities, even after the end of Apartheid, residents from Motherwell, South Africa, turned to CHF International for help. CHF provided residents with the technical assistance, organisational support and bridging finance they needed to build their own high-quality homes, through a method that allowed the use of relatively unskilled labour. After helping residents form the Sakhezethu NgoManyano Housing Association and establishing the Assisted Self-Help Model, community members built a total of 395 safe and affordable houses to which they have full title. This model has been transferred throughout South Africa, with thousands of houses built using the concepts for the development of housing and community that it established.

Liddell, Howard

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0015

The Fairfield Estate in Perth, Scotland has shifted in one generation from being an ‘estate from hell’ to a model settlement. In 1989 there was a waiting list of 200 people trying to get out, but by 2005 there are 400 people waiting to get in. Over 16 years the project has delivered green buildings for previously socially excluded people within social housing cost yardstick limits.

Evans, George

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0016

The Eldonian Village is the result of people taking control of their own lives. In 1978, when the Eldonians were faced with their homes being demolished and their community broken up, they didn't just sit back and accept it, they got off their backsides and made things happen. Today the Eldonians have 400 affordable rental homes, they have created over 250 jobs, they provide a range of local services and recreation facilities all of which are owned and managed by the local community. The Eldonians are an example to all communities and a testament to what people can achieve when they decide to tackle the problems of their community themselves.

Thompson, Nicholas C.

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0017

The Lyttleton Street scheme was a pilot project, applying INTEGER's Intelligent and Green design ideas, processes and technologies at the first stage of the redevelopment of the 40 hectare Lyng Estate in Sandwell. The objective was to provide exceptional standards of tenant choice, space, control and environmental performance. Comprising 12 flats and 3 houses, this sustainable housing scheme contributes to and complements Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's Agenda 21 targets. The design used forms a flexible system which can be applied to provide a variety of accommodation sizes and types, with cladding and fit-out options selected from a menu.

Haggerty, Rosanne; Goetz, Ellen

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0018

Common Ground's vision of supportive housing, as exemplified by The Prince George, is comprehensive, cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing and community-minded. Along with its other programmes throughout New York City and in Connecticut, The Prince George is helping Common Ground (CG) solve homelessness. CG believes that transitioning out of homelessness requires more than a home, more than good health, more than a job and more than a supportive community - the entire package is necessary. And that's exactly what The Prince George provides: a comprehensive support system designed to help people regain lives of stability and independence.

Preston, Clayton

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0019

East Lake Commons is a 67 home mixed-use, mixed-income in-fill community in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The community planning process began in 1997, and construction was substantially complete by 2000. East Lake Commons successfully incorporates a wide range of ecological and social concepts, including those of Atlanta Regional Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the project has established new practices such as Handicap Visitability that is influencing national policy makers.

Hürol, Yonca

2005 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/OHI-04-2005-B0020

THE HOME HOUSE PROJECT; THE FUTURE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING