CHEGALCHOOL

LAURIE BAKER
A
PROJECT

LOW COST HOUSING PROJECT

SLUM REDEVELOPMENT

ANUMEH PRAKHAR
 Agenda

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01 Introduction

02 About it

03 Team

04 What's next

05 Closing

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 01
Introduction

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Among the crowded, closely placed tiny
dwellings of the slum, there stands a few
buildings like little hillocks in the landscape
of Chegalchoola. Here is a look into how
successful was the designer in making the
spaces that are capable of becoming good
homes to its dwellers, with the limited
resources that was available.

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02
About it
Chegalchoola is a slum located in Thiruvananthapuram
district of Kerala. It is densely populated with around 1000
households, its population counts above 5000. People
Here live in houses built under government housing projects
or in sheds. Most of the population are daily wage workers,
factory workers, autorickshaw drivers etc.
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THE SLUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WAS PUT IN KITCHEN AND A SMOKELESS CHULA.
FORWARD BY TRIVANDRUM MUNICIPAL
CORPORATION AND WAS DESIGNED AND IN THE FIRST PHASE 9 BUILDINGS WERE
EXECUTED BY COSTFORD. THE CHIEF CONSTRUCTED, THAT IS 90 RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
ARCHITECT WAS AR. LAURIE BAKER. THE UNITS WERE ALLOTTED TO BENEFICIARIES
BY THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BASED ON
THE DESIGN HAD THREE STOREYS AND AN ATTIC THEIR ELIGIBILITY. THE BENEFICIARIES ALSO
SPACE AND HAS 10 RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN IT. HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR
EACH UNIT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER BUT PRIORITY. THEY OWN THEIR HOUSE BUT THEY
HAS AN AREA OF 35 sqm EACH. SPACES IN A UNIT: DO NOT HAVE THE FREEDOM TO SELL IT.
TWO BED ROOMS, A KITCHEN, A MULTIPURPOSE
ROOM AND A TOILET AND AN OPEN SPACE BASIC
FACILITIES PROVIDED: A WATER TAP, ALIGHT
POINT IN EVERY ROOM, A SINK AND WORK SLAB
 03
About it
THE DESIGN ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF THE
SLUM BEING OVERCROWDED WITH SINGLE
STORIED HOUSES AND SHEDS WHICH COULDN'T
SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMMODATE THE LARGE
POPULATION OF THE SLUM AND THE LACK OF
HEALTHY OPEN SPACE.
02/16/2023
THE THREE STOREYED BUILDING DESIGNED WITH
PRIVATE OPEN TERRACE SPACES FOR EACH HOUSE
HOLDS IN THE UPPER STOREYS NOT ONLY PROVIDES A
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LARGE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE WHICH ARE NOT
EFFECTED BY THE DRAINAGE ISSUES OF THE SLUM
WHICH IS YET TO BE SOLVED BY THE GOVERNMENT BUT
ALSO SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE FEELING
ISOLATED IN THE TOP FLOORS WHEN FLOORS ARE
SIMPLY STAKED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER.
IT WAS PLANNED TO PLACE THE BUILDING IN A CLUSTER
WITH AN OPEN CENTRAL SPACE. BUT PEOPLE
PROTESTED AGAINST CLEARING LAND AND
DEMOLISHING THE EXISTING HOUSES FOR THE
PURPOSE. SO THE BUILDINGS HAD TO BE PLACED IN THE
AVAILABLE SPACES WITHOUT MUCH MASTER
PLANNING. THIS HAS REDUCED THE EXPECTED QUALITY
OF THE EXTERIOR OPEN SPACES IN THE DESIGN.
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 04
Floor Plans in the ground floor it has five residential units. 

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each unit is entered through a sit out like space which create a buffer
from the outside thus assuring privacy. 

due to the low budget,
the room sizes are small, but it can be seen that the beneficiaries
are using these spaces to its maximum potential. the
spaces are sufficiently ventilated. each household can some ground
space outside their home for some activities or make  a garden etc.
in the present scenario, after more than 10 years since it has
been inhabited, it can be seen that most people have planted
some vegetation outside their homes, some has build a shed to
park their vehicles , or keep domestic animals. some has even
added an extra room, but that reduces ventilation into the interiors.

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 05Floor Plans

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In the first floor there are three units.

Two of the accessed through the front staircase. These two units have open
terraces almost the same size of its total interior space. These balconies have a lot
of activities going on, all the households have moulded their balconies with their
own creativity and free will. They have created gardens, some have made a part of
it into sheds for various purposes, they dry there clothes their, keep pets etc,.

The third unit is approached through the back staircase. It has a small balcony, this
unit is given to smaller families.

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 06
Floor Plans

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In the second floor there are two units, both of which
along with the open terrace also has an attic space.
Larger families live in this unit. Most beneficiaries use
the attic as a bedroom. Also this unit is very well
ventilated.
One drawback of this unit is that one has to climb too
many steps to reach it that it will be difficult for the
diseased and elderly.

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 07

LAURIE BAKER
The form of the building reminds of the traditional
sloping roof houses. The curved walls on both sides,
the sloping roof, the straight flight of steps, the open
terraces, the exposed red bricks, the beautiful brick jail
etc proves that cost-effectiveness too can create
beauty, that aesthetics is not a luxury.
The structure constitute of pile foundation since the
area is a landfill and load bearing walls and a few
beams. There are cantilever slabs on the top floor.
On taking a closer look it can be seen that the users
have assigned their own functions to the spaces and
has transformed it accordingly.

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 08 Gardens in the space outside the ground floor units. Now
each building even though has the same plan looks very

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different from one another, making each building unique.

Some have built sheds to keep their vehicles. Some

beneficiaries have added to their residence a small
extension which shows that the given space was not
sufficient for them, this has happened due to the limited
budget of the project.

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 09 Gardens in the space outside the ground floor units. Now
each building even though has the same plan looks very

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different from one another, making each building unique.

Some have built sheds to keep their vehicles. Some

beneficiaries have added to their residence a small
extension which shows that the given space was not
sufficient for them, this has happened due to the limited
budget of the project.

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 10

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Transformation of the terrace
We see the terrace space being transformed by the users as garden
spaces, space to dry clothes, working space, an extra room using sheets,
one has built a semi-shaded space using green net and gave a beautiful
entrance to it. These transformations silently prove that the
beneficiaries do actually feel at home in this space.

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 11

LAURIE BAKER
While all these transformations can be seen as a
positive there are some which has a negative effect,
like the one in the picture above where they have
completely covered the terrace into rooms using bricks
not only does this effect the strength of the building
but also the quality of the space inside, this was never
the designer's intension.

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 12 By making exposed brick walls the beneficiaries have a
number of options to work on there own homes. Some

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people like the exposed brick walls, some don't care,
some who can afford has plastered and painted the walls,
some others who wanted some colour on their walls
painted on the bricks, thus creating a variety of walls.

PEOPLE HAVE DECORATED

THE WALLS AND ENTRANCE
USING THEIR OWN
CREATIVITY.

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 13
The front staircase has gaps in between the steps. This
provides ventilation to the units on the three sides of it. But

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since there is no roof on the staircase the rain water gets in
making puddles in there. Also waste papers, plastics, etc
accumulate over time making it a dirty negative space listed
of providing ventilation.

This problem could be solved by fixing nets in the gaps

between the gaps thus providing the ventilation but avoiding
the waste mete rials from falling in. And the problem of water
can be solved by providing a drainage pipe for the water to
flow out.

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 12 By making exposed brick walls the beneficiaries have a
number of options to work on there own homes. Some

LAURIE BAKER
people like the exposed brick walls, some don't care,
some who can afford has plastered and painted the walls,
some others who wanted some colour on their walls
painted on the bricks, thus creating a variety of walls.

PEOPLE HAVE DECORATED

THE WALLS AND ENTRANCE
USING THEIR OWN
CREATIVITY.

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 13
The front staircase has gaps in between the steps. This
provides ventilation to the units on the three sides of it. But

LAURIE BAKER
since there is no roof on the staircase the rain water gets in
making puddles in there. Also waste papers, plastics, etc
accumulate over time making it a dirty negative space listed
of providing ventilation.

This problem could be solved by fixing nets in the gaps

between the gaps thus providing the ventilation but avoiding
the waste mete rials from falling in. And the problem of water
can be solved by providing a drainage pipe for the water to
flow out.

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 14

LAURIE BAKER
Under the back side staircase and one of the front staircase the space is
used for storage and one person is using it to keep poultry, this shows
the maximum space utilization in the design,
In the cluster arrangement the gap between some buildings is very less,
thus does cause a problem in circulation but at the same time this
narrow street has the benefit of being shaded the whole day. So people
find this space ideal sit here and talk, protected from the rays of sun

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 15
Conclusion

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The project can be considered successful even though
a few flaws are there.
Had the people of the slum be ready to provide
sufficient land, the project would have been much
more successful with a proper master planning and an
integrated approach.

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 05
Closing
Thanks

Anumeh Prakhar

19218003

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