Systems approach for housing prototype improvement : case study, Thailand

Abstract

The urgent need for housing, especially for the low income families in most developing countries, is found to be exacerbated by various factors such as the adaptation of inappropriate policies, construction standards, zoning laws, land tenure policies, and lack of attention to the development of appropriate housing technology and responsive design method to user requirements . In the light of the above, this study aims at determining comprehensive guidelines for the improvement of housing prototypes in Thailand . To exemplify such guidelines, a housing model is selected, i.e., a typical walk-up apartment of the National Housing Authority. The improvement is proposed by means of a systems approach to building and the introduction of the building performance concept. The systems concept would allow the problem solver to deal with any set of problems, related to buildings as a whole, within which interactions between various factors in construction industry interact with each other before any resolution is developed. It also provides the problem solver to evaluate more rationally the answer he has developed and enables the process to be repeated over and over again in differing situations by means of transmission of the information. Also applied is the performance concept which would serve as an intermediary between user requirements and hardware solution . The guidelines are developed in general five steps of the systems approach to building as follows: 1) statement of objectives, 2) problem analysis and base line data gathering, 3) development of performance criteria , 4) the generation of alternative solutions, and 5) evaluation and selection of alternatives. Accordingly, special attention is focused on the feedback from the in-use prototypes which is reflecting in the performance criteria and design proposal (Step 3&4).