Emerging Trends in Sustainable Habitat

And Integrated Cities

15th November 2014

Laurie Baker
Design:
Insights and Influences

P B Sajan
Architect And Jt Director
1
COSTFORD
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
 Design Process
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri

• Discussion with District Collector and Harbour 
Engineering Department officials
• Site visit 
• Interaction with local people, particularly elderly 
members to understand issues
• Understanding of existing settlement pattern and 
access to the beach
• Beneficiary interaction: held at nearest school
• Land survey 
• Conceptual design
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
15 different designs
 Scaled Model
Concept presentation before beneficiaries using 
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri

scaled model (Elected representatives were present)
 Feedback
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri

• Incorporated initial feedback from beneficiaries

• 15 pilot houses built

• Further interaction with beneficiaries

• A few changes suggested

• Suggestions incorporated

• Implementation of 158 houses
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Fishermen Colony, Thangasseri
Mamana Ooru, Attapadi (2002)
 Earlier interventions
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• In the ‘70s, 40 houses were constructed by the

Government of Kerala
• Survey conducted in 2002 by COSTFORD
• Only 8 houses were found to be habitable, with necessary
maintenance
 “Per capita” approach

• Concept advocated by Laurie Baker
• Not type designs
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• Different families have different needs ‐ area of the 
house dictated by the number of occupants – ‘Per 
Capita’
• Design for each family on the basis of the needs of the 
members of the house
• AHADS (Attapadi Hill Area Development Society) 
decided to implement it with people’s consent in 
Mamana
 Design Process
• Socio economic survey was first conducted in 
2002 along with OVS members 
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• Contour surveying was also done
• Several discussions were conducted with the 
beneficiaries and their needs and problems were 
ascertained
• Layout and individual houses designed 
• Discussion with beneficiaries
• Redesign based on feedback
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Design Process
 Changed preferences
Changed Preferences

• Refused initially suggested mud and bamboo

construction
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• Unplastered brick walls and filler concrete roofs

accepted

• Influenced by AHADS
Headquarters campus
built with same
techniques
 Other issues

• Shortage of drinking water 

• Environmental degradation
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• Preference  for level ground adjacent to their 
houses, for growing herbs and vegetables

• Ancillary  building provisions required
 Additional Factors

• 39 houses designed, in addition to the 8 houses 
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

retained 
• Measures incorporated along with the housing 
construction 
• Water harvesting
• Soil conservation and slope stabilizing measures
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Present Layout

• Series of clusters of varying sizes, to suit the terrain and for 
close interaction between the people
• An open air stage and auditorium were incorporated 
towards the middle of the layout to enhance community 
interaction
• Other structures – anganvadi, religious building and 
common cattle sheds constructed, 
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Layout Level Water Harvesting

• Series of open tanks and under ground tanks, with 
a capacity of over 7 lakh litres were built to catch 
and store rain water and water could overflow 
from the upper tanks to the lower tanks
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Water harvesting Tank
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Water Harvesting Household level
 Integrated planning

• Rainwater conservation
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi

• Roads and pathways inside the hamlet

• Nutrition gardens

• Planting of fruit trees

• Common cattle shed

• Smokeless chulha
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Mamana Ooru, Attappadi
Slum development
BLOCK DESIGN – GF Plan
CHENKALCHOOLA
BLOCK DESIGN – GF Plan
CHENKALCHOOLA
Block Design – FF Plan
CHENKALCHOOLA
Block Design – SF Plan
CHENKALCHOOLA
 CHENKALCHOOLA
RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS

Each block is designed for

accommodation 10 families
• Ground floor 5 families
• First floor 3 families
• Second floor 2 families
 CHENKALCHOOLA

• 35 m2
• 2 bedrooms, multipurpose
room, kitchen, toilet
• Open areas
GF – designated ground spaces
FLAT

FF & SF – open terrace

• Water tap, sink, work
slab, chimney in kitchens
• Water tap, closet in toilets
• One light point in all rooms – 6 nos
• Fan points – 2 nos
CHENKALCHOOLA
RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS
CHENKALCHOOLA
Sustainable Habitat Development

The ultimate objective
Improving the Quality of Life

Community based 
& 
Integrated Approach
Sustainable Habitat Development

• Participatory planning
• Local conditions and preferences 
• Target women and children
• Service delivery on individual
household basis
• Involvement in all stages of 
service delivery
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Existing condition

Population: 2341 nos. (632 families)
Extent : 9.73 acres
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Existing condition

Housing and Settlement pattern
500+ families live in closely packed, dilapidated shacks in a 
highly degraded environment
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Existing condition

72 families had been provided with 
habitable  houses 20 years ago
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Existing condition

Topography
• Site lies 60 cm below the existing roads
• Slight slope toward the sewage collection pond
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Existing condition
Major issue
• During monsoons, storm
water enters the city
sewage system and
reaches the sewage
collection pond
• Any overflow floods the
colony
• Leads to further decay
and disease
Laurie Baker’s conceptual design, 
‘Are slums inevitable?’, 1996

20 dwelling units in 4 storied block: Karimadom 
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
Residential Block  ‐ Floor Plans

Ground floor plan

first floor plan

 Residential Block  ‐ Floor Plans
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram

third floor plan

fourth floor plan

 Outcome of detailed survey
Phases in Construction
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
ONGOING UPGRADATION
KARIMADOM COLONY
Final design of initial stage
ONGOING UPGRADATION
KARIMADOM COLONY
Stages in design of main layout

Option 1
Stages in design of main layout

Option 2
Selected final main layout

Option 3
 Endeavors in Inclusion
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram

• Preliminary survey
– Data collected by  women from within colony itself 
having minimum +2 education
• Preparation of preliminary design
• Presentation before beneficiaries
– Over 3 days
– All families allotted dates
– Time of presentation 5‐6 pm
• Purpose of presentation
– Collection of feedback
– Clearing of doubts regarding design and phasing 
– Ensuring involvement of beneficiaries
 Proposed  facilities
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram

Community Facilities Services
• Play Areas • Water Supply 
• Study Center Cum Library  • Rejuvenation of Pond
• Anganwadi • Biogas Plant
• Multipurpose Open  • Sanitation 
Spaces  • Electricity 
Others • Drainage
• Bio fencing • Rainwater harvesting
• Smokeless Chula Social Amenities
• Earth Filling • Market 
• Retaining Wall • Kiosks
• Tree planting and Landscaping  • Community Cluster center
in Multipurpose Open Spaces 
Housing – 28 blocks, 560 DU
 Beyond the built environment
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram

• Detailed Survey
‐ Social development work – health, 
livelihood, education needs
• Strengthening existing neighbourhood 
groups
• Formation of boys and girls clubs
• Study groups
 Outcome of detailed survey
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram

Collaborative intervention
COSTFORD and Kudumbasree 
• Health – Palliative care
• Livelihood – Production centres for bakery 
items, tailoring unit with marketing
• Education – Meeting with teachers, provision of 
study centres
• Waste management units
Karimadom, Thiruvananthapuram
 Trends in slum development

The future

Even further………
Planning an EWS colony layout

Kalladimugham
Design Modifications
 Type 1 – 3 DU/floor

Type 2 – 3 DU/floor

Type 3 – 4 DU/floor
 Type 1 – 3 DU/floor

Type 2 – 3 DU/floor

Kalladimugham
Type 3 – 3 DU/floor 3 type designs
Proposed Layout ‐ Kalladimugham
Including other aspects….
 Conclusion
Karimadom
• Chenkalchoola

• Intervention confined to construction only.

• Involvement in construction and interaction resulted in
valuable feedback from beneficiaries

• Karimadom
• Design and layout modified in initial design stage to cater
to previous feedback regarding beneficiary aspirations
• Further modifications done based on further discussions
with beneficiaries and other stakeholders
• A comprehensive, community based design evolved
 Conclusion
Karimadom

Evident progressive changes in

design and levels of intervention
based on cumulative learning
through inclusive planning
Providing flexibility in the built
environment for further social and
economical inputs
Chenkalchoola, 2006
Chenkalchoola, 2010
The future……….
SLUMS
are a SHAME
and a DISGRACE
NOT to those who have

to live in one

But to US –
Planners, Architects, Builders &
Contractors, our Government
departments, others in authority,
AND
All of us who pass by on the
other side of the road and
pretend that a slum is none of our
business.
Laurie Baker
Thank you……….