DEFINiTIONS AND CONCEPTS

of
HOUSING

Housing Definition
House: A building or shelter erected for the habitation
"Housing is a product, a highly complex product. It is bulky, durable and a

permanent product. It has a fixed location, used only in a place where it is

built. Once built, it lost for several years. Frequently long after it serves its
serves its purpose, it almost becomes the part of land. Like many of the
industrial products it is not standardized. It is both economic and social
process, influencing the economy of country tremendously. --by G.H. Bayer

"Housing is not shelter or household facilities alone, but comprises a number

of facilities, services and utilities, which link the individual and it's family to
the community and community to region in which, it grows and progress.
United Nation

Housing Concept
The concept of housing is more than nearly a physical shell;

housing encompasses all the ancillary services and community

facilities, which are necessary to human wellbeing. Therefore,
community facilities, social amenities and services form an
integral part of housing concept and should receive equal or
greater attention than the housing unit it serves.
Housing: House + Neighbourhood facilities
Neighbourhood: this is residential environment with

both physical and the social infrastructure

Quality of Housing: Indicators

Physical indicator
Social indicator
Cultural indicator
Environmental indicator
Exclusive features

Quality of Housing: Physical indicator

Quality of Design of Built form (Exterior & Interior)
(Unit design and composition, Aesthetical elements, elevation &

exterior looks, colour scheme, Interior spaces, room sizes, interrelation of spaces, quality of spaces, selection of materials and
features, etc)

Quality of construction
(Selection of construction method, use of material, construction

techniques, finishing of works, minute detailing, etc.)

Quality of building services

(Efficiency and effectiveness of various services like Electrical,

Plumbing, Water supply, Garbage disposal, Communication, Lifts etc. )

Quality of Housing: Physical indicator

Quality of utility and facilities
(Provision of landscaped parks, Play areas for various age groups ,

street/ garden furniture & lighting, Public toilets, Joggers park,

Signage, information boards, security check-post, etc.)

Quality of Location aspects

(Location of housing, proximity to the various urban facilities, like,

Shopping, leisure, etc, proximity to the natural features and setting,

topography, connectivity to the services like Bus stop, Rly station,
etc.)

Quality of Housing: Social indicator

Availability of neighbourhood facilities
Convenience shopping for day to day needs, General stores, Glossary

shop, vegetable and fruit stalls, etc.

Club house, Gymnasium, Indoor games, Swimming pool, etc.
Celebration point, Community halls, Party lawns, etc.
Cafeteria, Milk booth, STD/PCO, flour mills, Dairy products,
Barber shop, Beauty Parlor, Ticket booking, etc.
Clinic, Nursing home, Dispensary, etc.
Play group, Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools, Coaching
centers, Computer centers, etc.
Repair shops, workshops, Post office, Police station,
Shopping mall, Cinema, ATM, etc.
Domestic labor, Gardener, cleaner, etc.

Quality of Housing:
Cultural indicator
(Provision of community spaces to conduct various cultural activities

within the neighborhood)

Environmental indicator
(Assuring environmental quality of the neighborhood, provision of

adequate open and green spaces, Physical barrier for noise, smoke,
air, water, land and other pollutions, rain water harvesting system,
Garbage disposal, cleaning, etc. )

Exclusive features
(Provision of unique facilities to neighborhood like, Concept garden,

golf course, Solar passive features, modern equipment and machines,

etc.)