CASE STUDY ON SPECIAL GROUP HOUSING

BHARATAPURAM LEPROSY
COLONY,
TAMIL NADU

Sneha Sara Varghese 36

PROJECT DETAILS
PROJECT
LOCATION
CONTEXT
DATE

: Leprosy colony
: Bharatapuram, Chennai
: Rural area
: 2006-2007

IMPLEMENTING

AGENCIES : Social activists

CLIMATE
VEGETATION

: Tropical wet and dry climate

: Grassland

FEATURES
Houses well connected to roads
Entry to housing area through a 1.2m wide gate
Only single entry
Only 2-wheeler entry to the site
Compound wall on four sides
Lot of green spaces

Common water connection

No separate tap for households
Need to store water in containers
Common toilets

DESIGN
Disable friendly design
Family units face each other

-creates a street like feeling to

increase interaction
Spacing between houses
- shade each other
- minimize effect of the sun
Every unit has a small outdoor space of their own

Unit for bachelors

FLOOR PLAN OF UNITS

Unit for families

ACTIVITIES
ART SCHOOL

- near to the houses for easy accessibility

OLD AGE HOME
- part of the colony
- for those old people affected by leprosy with
no family
- medical aid available
WORSHIP PLACES
- small chapel and a hindu worship place
- great relaxation space to the old people
- spend morning and evening times in the space

ANALYSIS
Small house

- minimum area to meet the requirements

Common facilities like bath and toilet
- difficult to access at night
Entry only from one side
- privacy of spaces
Windows and doors only where necessary
- moderately lit and ventilated

EFFICIENCY

-easy accessibility
-orientation of unit
-location of amenities
-flexibility of living spaces
-positioning of doors and windows
-sequencing the hierarchy of public, semi-private private spaces within
ECONOMY

-effective utilization of street network and services

-energy saving through natural light and ventilation
-cost effective technology
-effective use of pre-fabrication
ENERGY

-creation of terracing, thus casting shadows for reduction of radiating heat

-providing openings for light and ventilation in the appropiate size, number and position
ENVIRONMENT

-hierarchy of open spaces for the different age group

-open space at ground level as an extended garden space
-open space at upper level as an attached open to sky terrace