Developing Sustainable Housing (Part 2): Case Studies of Sustainable Housing
10 January, 2022
- By Pallavi Sharma
Independent Researcher
(Pallavi Sharma is an independent researcher working on issues of housing and sustainability in India. She holds a postgraduate degree in Climate Science and Policy from TERI university.)
This blog is second in a two-part series on sustainable housing. The preceding piece in the series discusses concepts of sustainability in housing and outlines national and international guidelines as well as some important consortia focused on sustainable housing. This piece furthers the concept and cause by providing case studies of sustainable housing.
In this series, we explore global examples of successful implementation of sustainable housing principles in low-income housing and draw recommendations for promoting sustainability in low-income mass housing in India.
Although the ground-level implementation of sustainability standards in mass housing projects faces multiple challenges, especially in low-income housing, there are some successful examples of sustainable developments in housing that can lead the path for effective interventions on a larger scale. The following section discusses some such essential sustainable interventions introduced around the world.
Energy-efficiency for Anganwadis in North Karnataka, India
SELCO Foundation, founded in 2010, is a social enterprise working to provide energy-efficient solutions that are socially and environmentally sustainable targeted at the low-income sector. SELCO engages in multiple projects aimed at reducing the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy. Their projects focus on extending energy-efficient solutions to: low-income housing; temporary housing facilities for migrant labourers; and public institutions like health centres, anganwadis and schools.
One of SELCO’s projects was aimed at designing low-energy Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres in districts of north Karnataka, India They employed efficient spatial design planning, orientation and shading techniques in order to limit (or enhance, as the climate may require) solar heat gain and capture air movements. They used materials with insulation treating properties in response to local climatic conditions. The size, location, type and accessibility of doors, windows, ventilators, etc. was also given attention. Additional aspects were considered to provide a holistic anganwadi design along with adapting the solution to local social contexts.
2. Erikarai cob home in Tamil Nadu, India
Thannal, a natural building awareness group based in a village in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India experiments with low-energy materials, appropriate technologies and indigenous knowledge of ancient practices in a new approach for building homes. They worked on a 350 sq ft ‘cob hut’ in Erikari village. Materials such as lime, mud, terracotta and bamboo were combined to create a comfortable home. The foundation was made of stone and lime while the walls were made of cob (straw, soil, and gravel, are mixed to form cob, which is used to form a wall of any shape). The flooring was made of terracotta tiles and the roof structure of bamboo was covered with coconut thatch, with storage spaces in the form of niches. The financial investment of this prototype was deemed viable for a low-income household. Concerns were raised about the stability offered by a mud building – without cement or plinth protection – during high rainfall or flooding situations. However, during flooding in December 2017, the mud house stood strong despite four-feet high water level for three continuous days. Though the house walls developed a termite infestation due to the extra dampness, it could be resolved through coats of limewash and admixtures.
The eco-friendly cob home
Photo courtesy: Thannal - Hand sculpted homes.
3. Community Driven Construction of Housing in Kambi Moto, Nairobi, Kenya
A technical team comprising an informal network of professionals – architects, planners and surveyors – worked with a local NGO, the Nairobi City Planning Department and two universities, in the Kambi Moto community. They collaborated with the residents of Kambi Moto Community to build their own homes and gain land tenure security. The community was trained in project management and procurement of materials. The original informal plot was transferred to the community as a whole, and each household received a sectional title.
The project was developed in-situ and incrementally. It utilised locally available stone and components fabricated on-site which reduced the cost and use of energy-intensive materials. The local knowledge of the community was leveraged in planning this settlement and considering storm-water run-off, path and road access, etc. Floor slabs and roof terraces were built with pre-fabricated concrete mini-floor slabs that use less steel and cement compared to conventional concrete. The community-led process of negotiation on design issues and loan financing for the construction is a positive example of inclusive sustainable housing through collaboration between communities and technical professionals.
4. Cato Manor Green Street Retrofit Project in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
This project, spearheaded by the Green Building Council of South Africa, is the first Green Street retrofit programme of South Africa. It involved the renovation of 30 low-income homes originally built under the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) in Cato Manor, Durban. The project included a monitoring and analysis stage which focused on impact, notably electricity use, water use, comfort, cost-benefit and quality of life. The project was implemented in consultation with the local government and community to provide support and equipment, e.g., LED streetlights, clean-up campaigns, environmental monitoring devices for the monitoring stage, etc. Further consultation took place with the community to ensure their cooperation and interest in the project. Learning from the project has been used to make important policy recommendations for the construction of new homes, the retrofitting of existing houses, and the scaling up of key interventions in Durban.
A resident in front of her home which has undergone a ‘green upgrade’. The solar water heaters are installed on the roof.
Photo courtesy: Improving lives by green low-cost housing: Case study report of the Cato Manor Green Street Retrofit (2012)
5. Mexico’s strategy for energy-efficient housing
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) are programmes and projects that developing economies are undertaking to align their strategy for sustainable development with national priorities. Mexico’s Sustainable Housing NAMA encourages improvement through the deployment of eco-technologies, the proliferation of design improvements, and the utilisation of efficient building materials. Mexico’s plans for sustainable housing led to green regulations, standardisations and subsidies to developers and house owners who invested in sustainable construction. The training sessions acquainted developers with energy-efficient options. After setting the levels of efficiency standards and providing the tools for assessment, the autonomy was given to homeowners and developers to employ any combination of interventions to achieve the target efficiency level. The construction of sustainable houses was also incentivised by a scaled-up and well-promoted financial system.
6. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Programme, USA
LIHTC programme is an example of financial intervention to promote sustainability. It was introduced in the USA in 2011 to enable private investment in social housing. Through this programme, credit is allocated to developers of affordable housing and incentivise them through tax benefits to open the field for investment to a wider range of private developers. The LIHTC programme evaluates potential developers as per a Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) which prioritises significant geographic locations of affordable low-income housing projects and access to amenities. The QAP overtime has expanded is criteria to include different aspects of sustainability like energy efficiency, quality ventilation and neighbourhood integration. The LIHTC programme has been essential in improving focus on sustainability in developer-led low-income housing in USA.
Suggestions for Pursuing Sustainable Housing in India
The above examples are encouraging for India to make meaningful advances towards more sustainable housing development, particularly for low-income mass housing. However, the spatial diversity, socio-political structure of states and the economic conditions of the people in the low-income group necessitate contextualisation of any policy. The following recommendations are prevalent in the discourse of sustainable housing but they should be applied contextually:
Need for a sustainable housing policy framework: Along with advocacy for sustainability, a roadmap and action plan are required to achieve the set standards. It is suggested that the framework be regulatory and time-bound with robust monitoring mechanisms and fiscal measures to support its implementation. This should integrate with the existing bye-laws, master plans and disaster management plans at the state and local government levels. Design elements that ensure day-night ventilation, thermal insulation and similar changes that can be made in the targeted time should be vigorously pursued.
Generation and dissemination of quality data: To pursue a sustainable path, one requires to learn about various technologies and materials – both new and traditional/locally available – and assess their impact throughout the lifecycle. This involves the generation of data about their emissions, thermal comfort, embodied energy, emissions, the cost involved, etc. Eventually, there would be a need to maintain a bigger database on sustainability that is easily accessible in the public domain. This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easy to comprehend and draw inferences from even if one has limited exposure to technical know-how of energy and emissions.
Capacity building: There is a need for scaling up the efforts of agencies like the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) to provide skill training of new materials to unskilled or semi-skilled masons and construction workers. Such knowledge shall also reach small and disaggregated developers, and make landowners, buyers, and developers aware of sustainable housing options. It is important to explore knowledge workshops in collaboration with state or local level training institutes and other forums that are accessible to the construction workers.
Financing: New methods should be adopted for extending support to developers and low-income households that do not have regular income and complete documentation. In addition, innovative ways should be explored for securing additional finances for alternative materials through instruments like impact bonds and equity instruments that distribute the cost to key stakeholders.
Creating demand: As a funder or supporter for a number of construction initiatives especially for the low-income segment, the local government can mandate selection of eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives. This would leverage the markets and scale up demonstrations by increasing demand, thereby incentivising investment.
The Way Forward for Developing a Policy Framework
The narrative used to bring attention to the importance of sustainable housing is usually premised on the projected construction of residential structures to meet future demand, which is expected to result in the overuse of scarce resources and have damaging effects on the environment. However, the onus of practising sustainability should not be solely placed on individual households. The choice of the level of sustainability that a household can practice is dependent on multiple factors such as tenure security, access to infrastructure, income level, durability and availability of materials, motivation, aspirations, awareness, available space, total cost and affordability. Any policy framework focused on sustainability should consider these aspects. The citizen sector organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can play a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge related to sustainability and maintaining a good outreach among the communities.
It is important not only to convince buyers about using energy-efficient fittings when they first build or move into a new house but also to encourage them to practise sustainability on a recurring long-term basis by replacing the fittings, when they no longer work, with fittings having similar or better energy-efficient properties. Middle-income or high-income families investing in buying or building houses should particularly have an outlook towards sustainability and access to relevant information because housing is often a one-time big investment. It is important at the outset to determine the willingness, efficacy and costs involved in both replacement and incremental retrofitting measures. There is a need to develop business models which can help in incremental retrofits, offer packages that help in energy saving, and provide incentives for improvement and incremental housing.
The incremental investment would vary based on the type of intervention. For example, adding low-energy equipment is an add-on and not a core part of construction, and hence, can be targeted at a later stage of construction. However, ensuring thermal insulation and appropriate window sizes is part of the core construction process and would incur a heavy expenditure. Therefore, new sustainability interventions need to prioritise effective measures during and after the construction.
The aspect of decentralising energy-efficient technologies to the masses is also important. Some social enterprises and other private sector organisations focused on sustainability have a good understanding of the market, uptake of materials, and supply chains. They should be actively involved in making green alternatives aspirational for all income levels. This is required for an eventual reduction in cost, greater environmental responsibility and manufacturing of more sustainable options.
Adequate and affordable financing is another important aspect for pursuing a sustainable path. International consortia of different organisations and agencies can sometimes possess accompanying funds and other resources to promote awareness about practicing sustainability in countries and to support local efforts that explore unique and contextual sustainable pathways.
In the short term, governments should customise policies according to the existing scenario. For example, Beneficiary Led Construction/Enhancement (BLC) is the most extensively implemented component of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U). The BLC beneficiaries should, therefore, be provided with full information about sustainable practices and get to know about examples of Demonstration Housing Projects (DHPs) that may use sustainable and alternate construction technologies.
In the long term, the framework of a sustainable housing policy should integrate with other schemes that target different aspects of sustainable living, zonal planning, livelihood generation, etc. Planners and policymakers must join other diverse stakeholders to support holistic approaches towards sustainable housing development and recognise the connections between the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable housing.
References
Fuhry Lauren and Wells Walker (2013) Green Goes Mainstream in Low Income housing, American Planning Association https://mrsc.org/getmedia/5C1945EA-F7D2-4AF1-9A97-3E221D65F0D7/Fuhry.aspx
Mexico’s National Housing Commission (CONAVI) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). (2012). Supported NAMA for Sustainable Housing in Mexico - Mitigation Actions and Financing Packages. Mexico City. https://www.conavi.gob.mx/images/documentos/sustentabilidad/2_NAMA_for_Sustainable_New_Housing_with_Technical_Annex.pdf
Herda, G., Rani, S., Caleb, P. R., Gupta, R., Behal, M., Gregg, M. and Hazra, S. (2017). Sustainable social housing in India: definition, challenges and opportunities - Technical Report, Oxford Brookes University, Development Alternatives, The Energy and Resources Institute and UN-Habitat. Oxford. https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/documents/2019-05/sustainable_social_housing_in_india.pdf
Improving lives by greening low-cost housing: Case study report of the Cato Manor Green Street Retrofit (2012), Green Building Council, British High Commission Pretoria.
https://gbcsa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Improving-lives-by-greening-low-income-homes-Case-Study-2012-FINAL.pdfSELCO Foundation, Efficiency in Anganwadi Centres: A report on designing low energy ICDS centres in North Karnataka districts of India. https://docplayer.net/186136653-Selco-foundation-annual-report.html
Thannal - Hand sculpted homes. https://thannal.com/