MULTICULTURAL FLEXIBLE HOUSING: ADDRESSING THE NEED AND

SCOPE OF FLEXIBLE HOUSING IN COSMOPOLITAN INDIAN CITIES

Iasef Md Rian
Al-Qassim University, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia
iasefrian@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Because of urban-centric job opportunities, rapidly growing urban crowd and
increasing shortage of space, people from distinctly different cultural backgrounds and
rapidly changing lifestyles have no option other than to live in high-rise and high-density
housing apartments which are very typical in cosmopolitan Indian cities. However, the
absence of desirable living environment in typically designed apartments with regard to their
original traditions, cultures and transforming lifestyles somehow makes most of the families
unsatisfied when it comes to the matter of adaptability. As a result, the interaction between
space and user has started collapsing after a period of months or years. This paper aims to
identify the factors that create a gap between spatial requirements of inhabitants and the
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

enviable reaction of dwelling spaces towards users. To bridge the gap, flexible design of
‘Open Building’ system will be suggested as a possible design solution. Accordingly, for the
analysis, this paper will first survey the present scenario of apartments that have been
changed, modified or transformed by the needs and choices of resident families. As a
consequence, it will unfold the underlying relationship between users’ spatial necessity and
adaptability in apartments. Subsequently, it will briefly discuss about the notion of flexible
housing and its role to the user’s customizability with space, especially in Indian context of
mixed-cultures. At the end, by reviewing some of the existing apartments in multicultural
cities that are designed flexibly, this paper will conclude the study by shedding light on the
prospect and necessity of flexible housing system in Indian multicultural urban society.

Keywords: Open Building System, Adaptability, Changeability, Lifestyle, Mixed-Culture

1. INTRODUCTION
Because of opportunities, globalization and rapid urbanization the number of
people migrating from distinct cultural backgrounds and traditions from suburbs
and villages into cities, are rapidly growing which is very typical in the second
largest populated and one of the highest densely populated countries- India.
Census of India and projection by MPD-2021 gives a data showing that the
migration to Indian capital city Delhi itself is increased by about 9% since 2001
to 2011, whereas the decadal overall urban population growth in Delhi is 21%
(Census of India, 2011 and MPD-2021). This scenario is more or less same in
other Indian metropolitan cities too. Eventually, increasing shortage of space for
a proper living is very common in these cities, which results in planned and
unplanned growth of high-density residential houses as well as multi-storey high-
rise apartment buildings. High-rise residences being very expensive, a larger
percentage of urban population prefer to live in the high-density low-rise
buildings which are better affordable by the low and middle class families. Most
 of the migrants from different regions and states are living in these buildings,
thus a colony becomes a basket of multi-cultures. Thus, urban societies in such
cities gradually become more mixed-cultural and the residents from varied
cultural backgrounds require residential areas or spatial configurations of
apartments to be adaptable, comfortable, healthy, culture-friendly and user-
centric for a better living.
Nevertheless, the quality of space for living has become an important issue
in the development of urban housing, especially in the high-density urban
housing of the Indian metropolitan cities not only with respect to the occupant’s
physical health but also to their well-being which are in turn connected to the
social and cultural sustainability of an individual and of a community as well.
Generally in India, indoor spaces of high-density housing are designed within a
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

very tight space setting with a limited open exterior exposure. There is also
orientation restriction of apartment unit which fails to provide any benefit or
protection from climatic changes over seasons. Besides, in Indian context, high-
density housing generally results in overcrowding, pollution, sanity problem, and
so on. These conditions not only affect users’ physical health but also prison
their family growth and cultural or lifestyle transformations which directly or
indirectly have active roles to play on the occupants’ emotional as well as social
health. Limited space hardly allows them to accommodate or facilitate all other
spatial necessities and modifications they want inside an apartment.
However, an important factor in the provision of healthy and multicultural
housing is to achieve the overall well-being of all occupants of different cultures.
Health issues in housing are not merely related to the avoidance of diseases,
but they also encompass the needs to provide adequate spaces for the
occupants to conduct their everyday activities in a comfortable and pleasant
setting (Ranson, 1991). That is why the absence of desirable and comfortable
living environment in high-density apartments with regard to their own daily
activities, traditions and cultures somehow makes most of the families
unsatisfied when it comes to the matter of health, adaptability and overall well-
being. It is confirmed that failure of achieving desired spatial adaptability or
customizability in needs or choices in house is one of the major reasons that
impact on an occupant’s mind and mood (Ineichen, 1993). However, physical
quality of a living environment is one of the factors that predict occupants’
satisfaction towards their housing (Bell, et al, 2001). But, the physical condition
of housings should not become the only consideration for determining the quality
 of housing. In fact, “the housing process cannot be associated exclusively with
the physical unit alone, as it requires an integral analysis of the relation between
the inhabitant and their habitat” (Jiron & Fadda, 2003: 7).
The primary purpose of this paper is to draw attention of all participants
related to housing design and practice including users, architects and builders
as well as global audiences regarding the need, scope and potency of applying
flexibility in housing apartment for offering sustainability in terms of
transformation and changeability as well as satisfactory adaptability of any
culture, tradition and lifestyle with the growth of family structure, age and rapid
technological advancement in multicultural cities. This paper is mainly based on
literature review and field survey which can be considered as a work-in-progress
article towards a research project. By studying and surveying the housing
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

problems, by reviewing the literatures regarding the problems, previous attempts

and possible solutions, and by studying the existing examples, a proposal will be
prepared based on ‘open building’ system. Open building and flexible housing
examples in different countries and international practices of flexible designs will
be closely studied and analyzed during their post-occupancy periods to assess
the outcome and success. A prototype apartment of flexible housing will be
proposed to design for performance, evaluation and assessment.

2. MULTI-CULTURES AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING: ADAPTABLE ISSUE

Plurality in culture, tradition, religion, custom, language, topography, weather
etc. is the beauty of the multi-coloured nation- India. This unique existence has
its influence on human activities, lifestyles and moreover on its relation to space
and its usability. All these multi-colours influence the architecture of a particular
region and produce unique architectural style and identity. West Bengal (a state
of Eastern India), which experience monsoons and enjoy a hot humid climate,
have houses with much opening but shade for monsoon rainwater, a courtyard
as gathering place or multipurpose place, and a shaded veranda for cutting the
direct summer sun. On the other hand, harsh hot and dry climate of Western
Indian states Rajasthan and Gujarat have minimum opening or perforated ‘jaali’,
screen windows, for avoiding the summer heat but allowing cool breeze, no
open veranda, but a courtyard for generating shadow inside the house.
Likewise, the climate and topography of coastal area of South Indian states as
well as cold climate of the hilly areas of North and North-East Indian regions
produce unique architecture of those regions.
 Figure 1. Unhealthy condition of high-density low-rise and high-rise residences in Delhi.

Whereas, diversity of climate and geography in India produce many different

architectural styles and planning settings in all different states and regions,
religion and tradition impose a further influence on these architectures. This
religious function is another reason that the architectural style and space
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

configuration of a Hindu Bengali family is different than the house of a Muslim

Bengali family, although both have similar features in terms of climatic and
regional aspect of design.
Further, if we observe more closely, we can notice that every family has
different culture, religion or tradition and has unique lifestyle, domestic activities
and habits. This unique lifestyle has unique relation with the dwelling space.
Besides, locally available building material, technology and workmanship play
another role in shaping the architecture of a particular region.
However, for job opportunities and for other purposes, people from the
remote places of the above mentioned states are migrating to cities and live
together in a colony or housing society. Thus, in an urban context such colonies
become a common room of multi-cultures which encounters intercultural
exchange producing a new urban culture and because of scarcity of space these
immigrant families have no option other than living in high-density and high-rise
housing apartments together, accessing common services. Thus multi-family
housing has become a so-called ‘solution’ for accommodating such a wide
variety of cultures making an urban village a multicultural community.
But problems start when it comes to the matter of accommodating all these
cultures in the typically designed apartments. As it has been discussed before
that every culture has grown up with individual factors of geographical,
traditional and religious aspects, the cultures have a long-term relation with
space. Consequently, every culture faces inevitable problem when it encounters
a new dwelling space. Every culture does not fit into typically designed space
configuration of the apartments. Thus it results in space-user conflict and
 changes. To accommodate their culture in the existing space setting, they
change or modify the configuration sometimes against building byelaws.
The patterns of space-culture relationship in certain situations are
• Space-culture relation in original place: Interactive & responsive
The architecture and spatial arrangements of traditional houses in
native places are the result of space-user relations with the effect of
long-term traditions, cultures, lifestyle and needs of families living for
generations. For example, a central courtyard surrounded by rooms
with open verandas in Bengali rural house is a hub for long-traditions,
ritual practices and community activities of a Bengali family. Each
space has unique relations and interactions with its users and both
user and space responds to each other at prolonged inhabited original
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

places.
• Space-culture relation in new place : Inadaptable & non-responsive
Habituated with the customary spaces of traditional house in native
places, people fail to adapt to the new environment of urban
apartment easily. Thus the interaction between a new user and a new
apartment is non-responsive and result in a disappointing interaction
between the user and space.
• Space-culture relation in transformation: Not concurrent
Further, prolonged inhabitation in the same house or apartment may
also lead a family to face the crisis of concurrent space-culture
relationships in transformation and growth with the pace of
technological advancement and impact of global culture. Rigid indoor
space layouts fail to respond to these changeability and
transformation with the transforming occupant’s culture, lifestyle,
needs and choices.
Few examples in Delhi show that the most of the tenants change the interior
layout and partitions as per their needs which is nowadays very common
practice in other Indian cities too. One case study conducted in ‘Kallol
Apartment’ in Patparganj, New Delhi has unfolded the true picture of user-
apartment relations. Studies were done on three tenants of three different
regional and religious backgrounds to investigate how the spatial demands of
different culture changes the typically designed layout. Besides, it also
attempted an inspection on how varied number of family members controls the
spatial needs inside an apartment.
 (a) (b)
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

(c) (d)
bed room dining area balcony/veranda

living room kitchen toilet

Figure 2. (a) Original typical floor layout assuming for 4-members family on the first day
of delivering to tenants, (b) Modified layout after 20 years by 5-member Bengali family,
(c) Modified layout after 20 years by 3-members North-Indian Muslim family, (d) Modified
layout after 20 years by 4-members Punjabi family.

One example of changing the typically designed apartment layouts by

tenants of different cultural and regional backgrounds after twenty years of
occupancy has been shown in ‘figure 2’. In 1988, the typical layout was
designed for a four-membered family having common urban lifestyle but not
considering a particular traditional or regional culture and lifestyle (Figure 2a).
But after twenty years of occupancy, a five-membered Bengali family has
changed their apartment as per their own traditional requirement including other
necessities; they have kept the Bengali culture of enclosed kitchen and dining
 room as a common and multipurpose place, but failed to achieve the spatial
imitation of internal open veranda of traditional Bengali house (Figure 3b).
Similar has happened with three-membered North-Indian Muslim family of
modern lifestyle. They have changed the original layout into open layout with
open kitchen which is a modern practice nowadays and with a large living cum
dining hall including a large balcony with a flexible façade so that during parties
or occasions kitchen, dining area, living hall and adjacent balcony can be
converted into a large big hall (Figure 2c).
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

(a) (b)

(d) (c)
bed room dining area balcony/veranda

living room kitchen toilet

Figure 3. (a) Original typical floor layout assuming for 4-members family on the first day
of delivering to tenants, (b) Modified layout after 2 years; husband & wife; 2 members,
(c) Modified layout after 10 years; husband, wife, parent and 2 kids; 5 members (d)
Modified layout after 20 years; husband, wife, son and daughter; 4 members.
 Apart from the changing needs of different cultures, changing family
structure and growing ages of users also control the interior layout of an
apartment and modifying it. Typical apartment layout changed by one tenant
over a different span of years and as per changing numbers of family members
as well as growing ages is shown in ‘figure 3’. Typical layout for a family of four
members considering common modern lifestyle was designed in 1988 (Figure
3a). But as per the age and needs of family members in the early stage of
tenancy in 1990, a Bengali family had refurbished the indoor layout by
converting one room as a part of large living room (Figure 3b). But after ten
years of tenancy in 1998 with the growth of family structure with the increasing of
two new members (two kids) and changing of needs the layout had again been
modified to get more rooms within the same apartment enclosure. For this, they
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

changed a large balcony into a kid’s room and changed the position of living
room (Figure 3c). However, with the change of the number of family members
and their growing ages and with the corresponding needs one more room was
required. To get extra room they divided the large living room into one small
bedroom and one small drawing room (Figure 3d).

3. APARTMENT-FRIENDLY USER OR USER-FRIENDLY APARTMENT?

A question arises whether we should change our lifestyle or habits as per the
existing apartment layout and indoor environment? Or apartment should be
changed or modified with respect to user’s lifestyle and culture? There is
common practice in Indian cities that families have modified the apartment over
time and needs. They generally do not compromise with the existing space,
instead they customize spaces adaptable. However, it is not unnoticed that the
apartment has also active influence on the tenant’s lifestyle and habits. For
example, a family originated from rural Bengal has been noticed to undergo
slight changes of habits and their lifestyle. The common activities of urban
lifestyle come into their culture. They start loving standing and cooking in
modular kitchens; they love to spend relaxation time in the balcony; they begin
to celebrate urban customs like birthday parties in the living and dining rooms.
Generally birthday parties are not celebrated in rural areas. Living room and
dining room not only become a part of their domestic activities but also a part of
a family gathering which reminded them of the common meeting space- a
courtyard in their native rural place. When they visit or return to their original
native place for vacation or for some other purpose, the relatives and local
 people of the village easily observe the changes and transformation in their
lifestyles and habits.

Figure 4. Open balcony has been allegedly changed into a room for spatial need.

Therefore, an apartment which is designed for common urban culture and

traditional culture which is rooted in the occupant’s own cultural background of
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

the native place influences each other. Sometimes, as a result, space-culture

conflict occurs.
Besides, necessities of a family are being changed over time with the rapid
technological advancement. At the beginning of tenancy, only a couple with their
parents may start to reside in a new apartment. After a decade the family grows
as the number of the family members increase (with the birth of children). Then,
after few years the parents die, the kids grow up, get married and begin a new
life. Eventually, after two or three decades the family structure changes and it
keeps on changing. On the other hand, with the advancement of technology the
use of space has also been altered. There is a need of Space for a large size
TV, bigger space for cooking and a larger washing area; whereas large sized
desktop and music system has been reduced by the invention of LCD or plasma
TV, washing machine, laptop, mp3 or mp4 player, and so on.

Figure 5. Relationship among changing lifestyle/culture, changing need, flexibility, spatial

variations and adaptability.
 Besides, seasonal climatic changes, even changing of activities over hour in
a day are another factor of changeability. Needs of space at morning, noon,
afternoon and night varies. Even the spatial needs during weekends and
vacations are also different than usual daily life. Apartment fails to respond with
this consistent changing behaviour and the variable pattern of transformations of
users. Flexibility is the only factor that could play an effective role to solve the
adaptability and customizability problems occurring in the junction of static space
and changing behaviour of users in housing apartments. (Figure 5)

4. SELF-DESIGN, FLEXIBILITY AND MULTI-USABILTY OF SPACE

Each occupant family has their own unique lifestyle. Lifestyle, activity and habits
cannot necessarily be the same for all tenants. Therefore, apartment should be
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

designed such a way that it can be well-suited to each family. Hypothetically,

every tenant should design his own apartment as per his own choice, need and
habit. Especially for multi-family of multi-culture housing, this individual
occupant’s participatory approach is seriously needed.

(a) (b)

(c)
Figure 6. Dr. Jin-ho Park’s experiment with Hawaii students; Vertical village of Self-
designed houses (a) floor and division were assigned to each student for designing their
own apartment; (b) Each empty typical floor was divided to four students; (c) self-
designed apartment models were placed on the assigned slot in the building frame self-
designed multi-cultural vertical village.
 In 2005, in a design studio of School of Architecture in the University of
Hawaii, Professor Jin-Ho Park had given a task to his students to design their
own dwelling units by themselves, and then asked them to put the units to the
assigned floors of a high-rise building frame. The intension of the task was to
make a high-rise urban village of self-designed houses. After designing and
making models, students filled their allotted spaces in the frame by their
individual dwelling units. As a result, the frame came out as a high-rise urban
village with each flat designed by each flat owner, i.e. the students. (Figure 6)
That studio-work offers the possibility to think about the scope of sustainable
vertical urban village with self-designed apartments in the cosmopolitan Indian
cities where multi-culture is a prime factor for adaptable housing practice.
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
Figure 7. Multi-use flexible indoor space in traditional Japanese house. (a)
breakfast/gathering place at morning, (b) meeting/discussion place for guest, (c)
working/activity place at day time, and (d) bedroom/sleeping area at night.

Besides, multi-use of a single indoor space in traditional Japanese houses

teaches us how to use a space multi purposely and multi functionally. It shows
that the space flexibility can offer spatial functionality for changing needs and
purposes. By using movable furniture a single space can offer a place for family
gathering during breakfast at morning, a place for guests at noon, a place for
work, and a place for sleeping at night. (Figure 7) Thus a single space can act
as a dining room, a guest room or drawing room, a working room, and a
bedroom. This fact shows the clue that spatial response for user’s changing
 needs and varying functions over time with the factor of flexibility and multi-
usability can satisfy occupant’s adaptability and can sustain space-user
relationships in the realm of transformation and changes.

5. NOTION OF FLEXIBLE HOUSING AND ‘OPEN BUILDING’ CONCEPT

The basic definition of flexible housing is ‘a housing that can adapt to the
changing needs of users’. (Till J and Schneider T, 2006) However, this definition
is deliberately broad. As per Jeremy Till and Tatjana Schneider’s explanation, a
flexible housing includes the possibility of choosing different housing layouts
prior to occupation as well as the ability to adjust one’s housing over time. It also
includes the potential to incorporate new technologies over time, to adjust to
changing demographics, or even to completely change the use of the building
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

from housing to something else. (Till J and Schneider T, 2006) In their words,
“Socially, it (flexible housing) empowers the user to take control of their own
dwelling, either by making choices prior to final construction or else over the
lifetime of the home. Demographically, it enables housing providers to adjust to
new living patterns and configurations of users. Economically, it avoids
obsolescence and costs involved in reconfiguration or refurbishment.
Technically, it should allow for the incorporation of new technologies and the
upgrading of old ones, in particular servicing.”
Nevertheless, the notion of flexible housing is not new; it developed from the
‘open building’ concept supported by theorists John Habraken and Avi
Friedman. John Habraken first articulated the principles of ‘open building’ in his
book ‘Supports: An Alternative to Mass Housing’, published in Dutch in 1961 and
in English in 1972 and 1999. He argued that for the housing process the two
domains of action must be recognised – the action of community and that of the
individual occupant. When the occupant does not participate and is excluded
then the result is uniformity and rigidity. On the other hand, when only the
individual takes action the result may be chaos and conflict. Accordingly, the
participation of all parties, including architect, is must for a necessary balance of
control in the housing process. (Habraken, 1961, 1972)
However, the notion of ‘open building’ is used to indicate a number of
different but related ideas about the making of environment. For instance:
- The idea of distinctive levels of intervention in the built environment, such
as those represented by 'support' and 'infill', or by urban design and
architecture.
 - The idea that occupants or inhabitants may make design decisions as
well.
- The idea that, more generally, designing is a process with multiple
participants also including different kinds of professionals.
- The idea that the interface between technical systems allows the
replacement of one system with another performing the same function.
(As with different fit-out systems applied in a same base building.)
- The idea that built environment is in constant transformation and change
must be recognized and understood.
- The idea that built environment is the product of an ongoing, never
ending, design process in which environment transforms part by part.
(Habraken)
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

About the innate changing phenomenon of user’s lifestyle and user’s space,
Habraken pointed out through his ‘open building’ concept that both stability and
change are realities in contemporary built environment. Changeability of building
and its users is natural and we cannot avoid it. In his words, “Buildings and the
neighborhoods they occupy are not static artefacts even during the most stable
times, and during times of social and technical upheaval need adjustment in
some measure to remain attractive, safe and useful.” (Habraken, 1961, 1972)
Accordingly, the best buildings can be those which are most able to provide
capacity to changing functions, standards of use and life-style, and improved
parts over time. (Kendal, 1996)
To achieve all the above factors of best building or best house and for the
solution of designing each flat according to the desired lifestyle of each dweller
and for customizing the interior setting as per their needs and comforts within a
limited apartment enclosure, ‘flexibility’ is likely to be the appropriate design tool.
Flexibility in design facilitates user control and generates spatial variation. Thus,
the flexibility can finely act as a key for customizing the user living environment
in relation to his changing need, time and trend, even with the changing of
climatic seasons for bringing comfort inside. Besides, flexibility in use of dwelling
can be an important factor for reducing the negative environmental impact
(evaluated by Avellaneda et al, 2008). Accordingly, the proper and surely
expected solution for the inherent but serious problem of user-space
transforming relation in high-density and high-rise housing apartment is “flexible
housing” which means ‘housing that can adapt to the changing needs of users.’
(Schneider and Till, 2006)
 6. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH
In the context of Indian housing for multi-ethnic tenants and their corresponding
cultural transformations as well as changing family structure, the practice of
flexible housing can essentially be a perfect solution. Implementation of flexible
housing concept in Indian cities can potentially solve many housing problems
discussed in previous chapters. However, there are several challenges to
actualize the concept of flexible housing in reality to the field, especially in
multicultural Indian context. However, proper and methodical steps of research
tactic should be followed to reach the goal of making an apartment ‘best’ by
employing the flexible housing system. For this, based on the previous
discussion, opportunities and prospects the implementation of flexible housing
with respect to open building concept in multicultural Indian housing can be done
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

by following proper research methodology and well-studied as well as well-

experimented approach.

6.1 Data Collection and Analyses

Data collection and its analysis is one of the foremost steps in research
methodology which provide essential resources for making well-defined
research framework towards proposal, and for supporting the foundation to
transform the hypothesis into real experiment and then into reality. Literature
and case studies can be done as initial step of data collection. Proper
questionnaire should be prepared for interview. All the participants in
housing design including other participants like architects, occupants,
housing builders, service providers and technicians, environmentalists,
neighbors, and social researchers should be interviewed. Data and
information will be collected through interview, literature and case studies.
For the data collection following steps and sources can be followed:
a. Documentary: Written materials and non-written (media-based)
materials.
b. Multiple Source: Area based (e.g. journal and region) and time series
based.
c. Survey: Censuses, interviews, continuous and regular survey, and ad-
hoc survey.
 Factors of impact between lifestyle activity-pattern and space
configuration will be identified.

How religion, culture & tradition of different regions in India have shaped
and produced the unique architectural characteristics, space and form, will
be studied.
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

What are the changing needs and corresponding spatial configurations

with respect to changing pattern of cultural transformability & modernity will
be recorded.

Quantitative and qualitative analyses will be performed with the collected

data and answers from questionnaires, surveys, investigations and
observations, and on their basis an interpretation of findings will be prepared.
Finally, based on the analyses and formulation, a proposal of flexible
apartment will be prepared for experiment. An empty apartment can be
selected as a prototype and as a base building for employing the proposal of
flexible housing, for experimentation by allotting a family of particular lifestyle
and cultural background. Performance of flexible apartment in terms of user-
space actions will be recorded after certain reasonable periods. Finally an
 evaluation of performance will be done for offering the final proposal to the
field and industry. For getting more precise and comparative results, two
apartments in a same housing block can be selected for assessment. One
apartment will have rigid indoor layout and another will have flexible indoor
layout or open layout. Two different families of different lifestyle backgrounds
and family members will be allotted to these apartments. After few months or
years occupancy, behavior of space-user relation as well as adaptable issue
will be evaluated. Further, advantages and disadvantages of both
apartments will be recorded for final assessment.

6.2 Literature Review

On the subject of flexible housing, Tatjana Schneider and Jeremy Till (2006)
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

did a thorough study and research on the today’s need of houses that can
adapt to change over time. After extensive research work, they confidently
suggested that flexible housing is inherently sustainable. About the post-
occupancy reactions of the dwellers on flexible housing, Beisi Jia (1995) had
concluded, with the evidence of few built flexible apartments, that flexible
housing is well suited and best adapted to the dwellers. Stephen Kendal and
Jonathan Tiecher (2000) have confirmed the economical advantage of
flexibility in residential open buildings. Kashikar Vishwanath (2006) did a
brief study about the flexibility in design as parameter of spatial variety
required for different climatic seasons in Indian multi-storey housing as
Master’s thesis. His study was general and confined within climatic aspects
regardless of social, cultural and lifestyle aspects, and did not discuss about
high-density housing. However, the need and application of the notion of
flexible housing for high-density low-rise housing with respect to cultural and
health aspects, including changing activities in cosmopolitan Indian cities,
have seldom been adequately studied and researched in depth yet.
Few examples of flexible housing built in developed countries
(Adelaid Road Housing, London, 1979; Davidsboden, Basel, 1991;
Brahmshof, Zurich, 1992; etc) were successful attempts with respect to
users’ spatial satisfaction in accordance with the changing needs, local
environments and social requirements. (Jia, 1995)
In Hong Kong and Tokyo where space is extreme scarce and with sky-
touching prices, few thinkers have attempted to design tiny and tight
apartment with flexible walls and furniture which can provide a variety of
 spaces of variable sizes as per occupant’s needs. Among those, Hong Kong
based architect Gary Chang’s project ‘Domestic Transformer’ is a thought-
provoking design solution for future dwelling practice in a city with high
population-density. Gary Chang has designed a 344 sq. ft. apartment to be
able to change into twenty four different designs with variety of space
fulfilling all the domestic functions, all by just sliding and folding furniture,
panels and walls.
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

Figure 8. Flexibility. First floor of Schröder House. Gerrit Rietveld. (1924)

Plan

Figure 9. Nagi Apartment Kanagawa, Japan. Flexibility achieved by hanging curtain

Another very recent example of flexible apartment is Nagi apartment in

Japan having very simple but completely new approach. In Nagi apartment
designed by UUfie in 2009 is new approach of offering flexible spaces by
using hanging curtain which provides visual privacy while allowing light to
transmit across the spaces. As experienced, the space always changes and
adjusts to the life of the family, while the railings always remain there as a
backbone to support it. (Figure 9) Ron Barth, President of Resource
 Furniture of New York made a really flexible, multi-functional and space
saver furniture which provide numerous indoor space possibilities. However,
recently there are many practices going on for this particular field to produce
flexible partition or furniture for accommodating the frequent and requisite
changes in an apartment or building.

7. SCOPE OF FLEXIBILITY IN MULTICULTURAL INDIAN HOUSING

5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

Figure 10. Diagram of changeability and transformation, and their spatial

demands with respect to consistent adaptability

The achievements, performance and post-occupancy responses and lessons

of previous flexible housings in other part of the worlds and recent
innovations of technically advanced attempts of flexible apartment indicate
the prospect of introducing the system of flexible housing in Indian cities for
making housing multicultural, social and healthy with respect to occupants’
cultural transformation and modernity, socio-cultural sustainability, regional
identity, and user’s customizability including their health and comfort.
Besides, flexible housing is the best-suited solution for multicultural India
where transformation and tradition take place concurrently. In Indian context
various changing factors in housing are mentioned below.
a. Multi-cultures: - Changing of tenants of different cultural background.
- Changing of lifestyle because of inter-cultural influence.
- Transformation into global culture and modernization.
b. Family Growth: - Changing of number of family members.
- Growing ages of each family member.
c. Daily Activity: - Changing activities at morning, noon, evening and night.
 - Changing of activities on weekends.
d. Weather: - Changing of climate per season.
- Changing of sun/wind directions per day per season.
e. Need/Choice: - Different occasions, functions, celebration, guests etc.

8. CONCLUSION
Transformation is a natural phenomenon whose pace is accelerating with the
advancement of technology and rapid globalization. Its effect influences our
lifestyle, culture and everyday activities. Consequently, it causes changing of
need and demand in a residence, which hinders the behavioural space to
respond satisfactorily. Generally we refurbish the apartment when it has no
option to accommodate unavoidable changes, but the level of compromise
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

with space and transformation remains the same. A few decades back,
yearly refurbishment of an apartment could have solved the slow pace of
transformation by a simple refurbishment although expensive, but now in the
present era of rapid modernisation, transformation is rapid and inevitable.
For this, a quick customization of apartment space as per adaptability and
needs is required which can be possible by the instant flexibility of partitions
and furniture.
This issue is not just restricted to India but every metropolitan city around
the world is undergoing multiculturalism and rapid transformation in the
present era of globalization. This study, though taking India as a prototype,
but is applicable to any other cosmopolitan cities. This space-user
sustainable proposal is applicable to any housing typologies. However, its
application of flexibility is much more efficient in high-density high-rise or low-
rise housing.
This paper has made an attempt to highlight the less-noticed fact of
transforming lifestyle and changing needs of occupant and the failure of
spaces in bringing about this change. Although the opportunity and scope of
introducing flexibility as a design tool and employing the ‘open building’
concept for solving the above problem has been the chief target of this
discussion, but the aspects of locally available ecological material,
technology, sustainability, services, and economy has not been talked about
in details. Lowest-energy consumption is another aspect to think about. It
has been evaluated that flexible designs also facilitate lowest-energy
consumption. However, flexible housing is a thought which can be
 experimented and actualized in the context of multi-cultures where the level
of change and variability with transformation is higher. The contribution from
other disciplines like building services, environmental study, sociology,
psychology, and finally economics and marketing are needed to realise the
validity of the proposal. And last but not the least, there should be other
equal participants too – occupants, neighbours and the government.

8. REFERENCES

Hasan A (2010), High-Density Housing That Works for All. International Institute for
Environment and Development. www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=17079IIED.

Avellaneda J et al (2008) Environmental Evaluation of Flexible Housing. 5th BMBF

5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

Forum for Sustainability, Research for Sustainability – Driver for Innovation.

Ewerk, Berlin.

Beisi Jia. (1998) Adaptable Housing Design, Southeast University Press, China,

Beisi Jia. (2001) Open Housing, Compact City and Environmental preservation: A
Critical Look at Hong Kong’¦s Experience, Open House International, vol.26
no.1, UK, pp 26-33.

Beisi Jia. (1995) Adaptable Housing or Adaptable People? Experience in

Switzerland gives you a new answer to the question of housing adaptability,
Architecture et Comportment/ Architecture and Behavior, 2, pp 728-732.

Bell, P.A., Greene, T.C., Fisher, J.D., & Baum, A. (2001). Environmental
Psychology. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers.

Brand S. (1994) How Buildings Learn, New York, Penguin Books.

Correa C. (2000) Housing and Urbanization: Building Solutions for People and
Cities, Thames & Hudson.

Habraken N J. (1972) Supports an alternative to mass housing, London, Amsterdam

1961 (Dutch version)

Habraken N J. (2008) Design for flexibility. Building Research & Information, 1466-
4321, Volume 36, Issue 3, Pages 290 – 296.

Ineichen B (1993) Homes and health: how housing and health interact, London: E
and FN Spon.

Jirón, P., & Fadda, G. (2003). A quality of life assessment to improve urban and
housing policies in Chile. Washington DC: World Bank Urban Research
Symposium.

Kendal S. & Tiecher J. (2000) Residential Open Building, Spon Press, UK.
 Kendall S. (1996) Open Building: A New Multifamily Housing Paradigm. Urban Land.

Park J . (2007) A High-rise Urban Village: Tectonic Mutation in a Design Studio,

Open House International, 32- 1, pp30~40, 2007.

Ranson, R. (1990). Healthy housing: A practical guide. London: E & FN Spon.

Schneider T. & Till J. (2006). Flexible Housing: Opportunities and Limit, Architectural
Research Quarterly, 9:2:157- 166 Cambridge University Press.

Schneider T. & Till J. (2007) Flexible Housing. Architectural Press, London.

Schneider T. & Till J. (2006). Flexible housing: the means to the end. Architectural
Research Quarterly, 9:287- 296, Cambridge University Press.

Annual reports and reviews of Housing and Urban Development Corporation

(HUDCO)
5TH ICBDE 2011, International Conference, Penang.

Websites:

Census of India and MPD-2021: http://dda.org.in/planning/docs/02-POPU-

EMPLOY.pdf

Open-Building concept: http://www.open-building.org/ob/concepts.html

Habraken: http://www.habraken.com/html/introduction.htm