Study on morphological characters of domestic spaces focusing their alterations in the apartments of lower middle income group in Dhaka

Abstract

The gigantic growth of population in Dhaka results a huge stress on its accommodation, infrastructure, utilities, services and other facilities. In this critical urban situation lower middle income families can only avail very limited spaces for domestic use. However living in such tiny spaces seems to be very challenging for these families to appropriate functional use and activities. To accommodate in extremely limited space many occupants have make some physical alterations on space or activity in their apartments. These interventions alter the morphology of domestic spaces, geometrically and topologically, thus express users’ preference. Therefore the objective of this study is to identify the altered morphology of domestic space for lower middle income families by studying spatial character of domestic spaces, activities and their adaptations. This study also aims to investigate resident’s preferences and needs of their housing units in terms of their functional efficiency. To achieve this goal fifteen apartments from Dhaka have been selected through some criteria and analysed spaces as originally built and after being modified by their occupants. Space-syntax method is used to identify the characteristics of spaces. The questionnaire from the respondents and the observation during field survey is also analysed. The study identified significant changes on zoning and activity pattern of domestic space. These alterations have a major impact on morphology of domestic space, which retained certain characteristics from the original layout but put the apartment together in a new way. Activity analysis identifies maximum spaces of the apartment is multifunctional. Though it is very difficult to maintain privacy and segregation within this limited space but it is a major concern to the occupants during the alteration. The inadequacy of functional space is another reason for alteration. From this current study it can be said that there is a mismatch between the design of domestic space and the residents’ needs, preference and aspiration creating designer-user gaps which lead to adjustment of aspirations or adjustment of the house through alterations and adaptations.