Proposed Housing Project for Urban Slums

SLIIT

Idea projektu

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In this Wanathamulla T18/20 area there are 200 houses and the population is about 1500 people. According to the research, and stats done by the University of Kelaniya, the population can be decided into three age groups.

01. Lack of education
This is the main problem in this area. About 90% of the children attend school. But most of them finish their education after the O/L examination. Education is the only way out of poverty. many children are forced by their parents to get a job at the age of 18 because of economic problems. And they don’t have a study background in the area. Most parents know the value of education but they don’t think about higher education after the O/Ls.

02. Young people don’t have professional qualification
Many young people live in this area and they are employed in various small jobs due to a lack of education and vocational qualification.

Reasons they don’t have professional qualifications:
1. Mostly they choose the jobs like trends.
2. Don’t have self-motivation.
3. Ignore the interviews because of the
area they come from.
4. Most young people go after politicians.
5. Trying illegal fast-money methods.

03. No identity. Bad impression from the public society.
The angle at which society looks at them is not so favourable. Due to its popularity for drugs and
underworld activities, it greatly affects their lives. As result, they are marginalized by society. So many opportunities are lost because of this.

Examples:
1. Police always look at them as drug dealers.
2. Ignore the jobs.
3. In building a marital relationship they face problems.
4. Children bulling and marginalized by the public.
5. Society looks at women from the wrong angle.

From generation to generation this happening and they have a hatred for public society. So they need their own identity to move with society.

PROJECT PROPOSAL
01. Educational study background.
Education can change their lives. Designing a housing scheme with an educational environment is my major focus point. Children are the next generation of this community so their attitudes and qualities can change the whole community's thinking pattern in the future. In this design, I have proposed
1. Study room for every housing unit.
2. Public library.
3. Public Study area.
4. E-Nenasala Computer Lab.
5. Play areas.
6. Interactive spaces for children.

02. Vocational motivation centre.
By developing their education and vocational skills, long-term solutions can be applied. Just giving a house to live in and a government job are short-term solutions. That can’t uplift their quality of life.

In this design, I propose a centre to motivate youth over 18 years of age for vocational training powered by National Youth Services Council. Other communities from Sahaspura and Methsiripura also can visit. That helps all the communities in the area can interconnect with others. Youth are the strongest part of this community. That can avoid the drugs, alcohol and underworld activities in this area.

03. Give them their own Identity.
Having a good attitude towards them in public society is an important factor for them. Many of their good sides can be observed. as examples
1. Children’s interest in learning
2. Innate talents in youth.
3. Religious and national coexistence and etc.

Through this project, it is my intention to dispel misconceptions in society about these people in Wanathamulla and to create an environment in which they can live with their own identities.

04. Economic well-being.
The men who are the head of the household are engaged in work and collect money for daily life. In most houses, women in the house and take care of the children and do their daily chores.
I proposed a space near the baseline road because of the economic value for add stores and
economic activities. Because women can earn money for their families by becoming self-employed within this housing scheme. They can make handicrafts, foods and etc and sell them to others.
So women can spend that money on children's education.

Popis projektu

What are the issues we in Sri Lanka are facing and what as an architect we are trying to do about them? The issues faced are much broader and will always seem more complex than you think when the problems are observed as a student. But when you try to seek solutions to solve these problems you progress and improve as a student and become an
important stakeholder in that process. So the exercise here would be to develop your own perception and attitude about the high-density living and housing issues and rediscover the new opportunities to transform the communities living in these locations.

As an architectural exercise, the very shape of a building deals with the issues you identify in a housing community by using your own imagination to design a form to respond to it. They use new ideas to bring a contemporary version to the solution of urban housing issues related to slums in developing Cities. These slums are sometimes only temporary shelters used for sleeping at the night and going back to work by the occupants. Population growth driven by those who seek opportunities and jobs has created pressure for improvement in housing and its related infrastructure. Railways and public transport as a means of mobility have relieved this pressure to some extent. There is a trend to look for land for development by slum clearance to develop affordable housing. Cities are engines of growth and engines of social and cultural change which integrate new modes of mobility such as the metro and mono rails to transport people in and out of it. The growth of urban centres is important focusing on space as a resource providing a correct mix of housing, commercial, Industrial & ware houses, transport, education and recreational areas.

Technické informace

The environmental strategy of the apartment proposal focuses on the provision of maximal amounts of fresh air and daylight. Create maximum views of the centre garden and the canal side. This housing scheme is using solar power to fulfilling their daytime average electricity needs. This master project proposal gives some solutions for the future urban vehicle traffic problem.

The housing scheme is a vehicle-free zone. In the central garden, there are so much vegetation and a water pond to minimize urban heating. And it helps to keep fresh air condition like this urban city.
Overlapped building shape avoids solar heating. And a front side of the building is covered by trees.

The building needs to reinterpret the identity of the Wanathamulla people. Overlapped structures, Pathways and multicolour walls are there identities that I used for these buildings. Reduce carbon footprint and add greenery to the building to be highlighted as an iconic building in this urban context. It can make the community belongingness and self-pride about their own housing scheme.

This interior study focuses on the communal lounge area and the living space in the apartments. It highlights the relationship between natural and artificial light as well as the connection between interior and exterior. Providing privative space with maximum views + community interaction to create belongings.