Low Cost House

Total housing area in the country has grown tenfold in a decade, yet many families still live in rooms smaller than 10 square metres. Decent housing for low-income households remains a pressing need.

This prototype is aimed at low-income families in the river delta. By trimming the programme and using cheap materials throughout, the building cost falls to about 2,400 USD, and running costs drop because the house relies on natural light, air and rain.

Two prototypes were built on the site of a kindergarten. The first is a model home; the second, slightly smaller, serves as the kindergarten’s site office, showing how readily the type adapts.

Kitchen and bathroom are assumed to sit outside and be shared between families, so the house holds only the minimum for living, eating and sleeping. The plan can extend lengthwise as a family grows. Inside is a single room divided by curtains and changes in floor level. Raised parts of the floor double as a desk, and folding beds let residents sit on the floor by day or turn the beds into sofas.

To keep costs down, residents are encouraged to help build. The frame is light steel that goes up without machines or special skills, and wet joints are avoided where possible so that materials can be reused. Roof trusses made from steel bars use little material and give a good pitch for shedding rain.

The walls are polycarbonate panels and the roof is corrugated FRP, with bamboo louvers set inside. Both are cheap, light, easy to replace and available everywhere, and bamboo grows fast. The translucent skin and louvers soften harsh sun into even light, cutting the need for electric lighting. A gap between roof and wall lets hot air escape, so the house needs no air conditioning, and the pent roof collects rainwater for the dry season.