Design Revolution for Affordable Housing in Tropical Country

In the past, affordable housing has never been designed to last; it was meant to meet urgent demand and solve a short-term solution, by providing the maximum number of dwellings in the shortest possible time.

At the same time, affordable housing has its host of challenges: increased internal temperatures (especially in our tropical climate); a small and inefficient kitchen space; a third bedroom that seems like an afterthought; insufficient courtyard area that leads to stifled living; and insufficient natural lighting.

One of the main challenges faced by a developing country like Malaysia is adequate and affordable housing. In order to address this challenge, we need an integrated solution through the combination of science, technology and innovation (STI).

At the ASM Fellows’ Lecture held on 19 March 2017, Ir. Dr Zuhairi Abd Hamid FASc delivered a presentation titled “Design Revolution for Affordable Housing in Tropical Country”. The concept of Divergent Dwelling Design (D3) was inspired by the practical and functional layout of a “Kampung” style house; it focuses on affordability, adaptability, quality and sustainability.

D3 aims to meet the need for affordable housing of the nation by providing quality homes. It produces higher quality homes via an innovative design and construction method that creates value on a massive scale. Furthermore, D3 aims to adopt a higher Industrial Building System (IBS) content in line with the National Construction Industry Roadmap to enhance construction time, quality and cost.

The utilisation of D3 brings about various benefits to the occupants, developers as well as the construction industry. It potentially improves standard of living without the penalty of high prices. D3’s superior design improves liveability of the living quarters. By its use of IBS, D3 also increases construction speed. With off-site fabrication, it also improves site safety and lowers labour dependency. Furthermore, D3 adopts modularisation processes that reduce material wastage and preliminary cost.

You may download Ir. Dr Zuhairi’s presentation slides here.