In-use modification of existing public housing in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The primary goal of this thesis is to analyze and evaluation existing public housing in Egypt, with the aim of: 1. Modifying existing conditions, and 2. Developing alternative design concepts to meet with present and future user demands. The thesis is divided into three major parts, each part containing several chapters. Part I gives a brief background on the housing situation in Egypt; when it was first perceived as a problem and how the government interceded to solve it. A description of the present situation with the housing issue is presented revealing areas of the problem. Part II deals with a specific case study, of a public housing project in Cairo, chosen as a prototypical example of post-occupancy and post-construction evaluation. Part III advocates an alternative design approach to remedy the existing situation by introducing some degree of flexibility/variability. This was provided through proposing an additional space or spaces to be connected to the existing structures. In addition, technical systems suitable for implementation are studied for both minimum and maximum spans proposed.