Housing Concepts and Definitions Quiz

Housing and Environment

• Nagwa Adel Hassan is a professor of Housing and Environment in the Home Economics Department of Alexandria University's Faculty of Agriculture.

Dwelling Related Concepts

• Shelter concept: A traditional concept of housing, associated with fulfilling physical needs.
• House concept: Defines a building where a person lives, including necessities, facilities, and devices for health and family happiness. The definition has expanded over time, encompassing any space where a person resides, even temporarily, for any activity.

Dwelling Related Concepts

• Housing concept: The process of providing sufficient housing for a community that includes residential elements along with community services and facilities.
• Building concept: A structure with a roof and walls, usually permanent and standing in one place.
• Occupancy concept: Establishing people in suitable and equipped housing units. The success rate depends on considering the psychological and social needs of the population.

Classification of Building Types

• Environment: Urban, rural, and Bedouin buildings.
• Occupants: Family, disabled, elderly, and children's buildings.
• Construction method: Load-bearing walls, structural, and vacuum buildings.
• Purpose: Residential, educational, industrial, commercial, recreational, and health buildings.
• Income level: Random, economic, lux, and super lux buildings.

Urban Housing Levels

• Factors determining housing levels: Residential flat area, population income levels, state-provided services and facilities, housing quality, and periodic maintenance.
• Levels: Popular, economic, medium, and premium.

Popular Housing

• Area: 50-70 square meters
• Deficiencies: Limited means for requirements of life and living in a healthy environment (decreased personal space, low quality building and finishing, lack of maintenance, and poor planning).

Economic Housing

• Area: 70-90 square meters
• Characteristics: Accounts for 50% of housing levels in Egyptian cities and primarily inhabited by low-income families; it is also considered a significant burden on the housing problem.

Medium Housing

• Area: 90-120 square meters
• Services: Basic services like sanitation, water supply, electricity, and paved streets.
• Key factors: Location, costs, and finish level.

Premium Housing

• Area: Over 120 square meters
• Accessibility: Limited neighborhoods in Egyptian cities.
• Characteristics: High standard of finishing, favorable location, quality community services, and spacious internal and external areas; it often relies on private contractors for financing.

Housing (Residential) Environment

• Housing is the framework for living, activities, and basic needs (food, clothing, etc.), affecting physical and psychological health.
• Housing elements: Architectural (floors, walls, ceilings), Physical (ventilation, humidity, lighting, temperature, and noise), Infrastructure (services like electricity, water), and Furnishings (furniture, home furnishings, décor).

Architectural Environment - Floors

• Basic requirements: Functionality, beauty, and cost-effectiveness.
• Considerations for flooring: Compatibility with design, ease of cleaning, maintenance, resistance to friction and scratching, ability to withstand traffic and move objects, and thermal insulation.

Architectural Environment - Walls

• External walls: Separate the dwelling from the environment, provide protection from weather, insulation, and privacy.
• Interior walls: Divide the living space, provide internal privacy, and can be treated differently based on the design.

Architectural Environment - Ceilings

• Types: Ordinary and secondary/fallen ceilings
• Considerations: Area, height, costs and noise.

Physical Environment - Ventilation

• Definition: The process of renewing indoor air.
• Ratio: The ratio of window area to floor area should be at least 10%.
• Types: Natural (architectural openings) and Artificial (fans/air conditioners).

Physical Environment - Humidity

• Humidity enters buildings through rainwater absorption, water vapor condensation, and groundwater seepage.
• Comfort level: Generally felt at 50%. Humidity affects physiological comfort, body temperature regulation, and resistance to health impacts based on whether temperature increase or decrease.

Physical Environment - Lighting

• Types: Natural and artificial
• Functions: Allows vision, optimal lighting according to the environment, avoids dazzling, and emphasizes aesthetic elements.
• Patterns: Work surface, directional, and general lighting.

Physical Environment - Temperature

• Optimum temperature: 21-25°C
• Lowest tolerated temperature: 15°C, Highest tolerated temperature: 42°C
• Factors affecting thermal performance: Building direction, architectural openings, ventilation, and building materials.
• Methods to mitigate high temperatures: Using umbrellas, tight frames, artificial ventilation, heat-insulating materials, cool colors, planting, and air envelope systems.

Physical Environment - Noise

• Definition: Noise is a group of sounds causing physiological, neurological, and psychological harm.
• Effects: Anxiety, focus problems, disturbance, elevated blood pressure, increased breathing rate, ear pain, and decreased productivity.
• Limits: The human ear can hear up to 130 decibels, while acceptable noise levels are usually 45 decibels with hazardous levels above 90 decibels.
• Sources: Both internal (e.g., TV, cassette) and external (e.g., cars, shops, factories).
• Solutions: Using sound-resistant/sound-absorbing materials (e.g., wood, textiles, cork).

Infrastructure Facilities and Services

• The performance of a building is contingent on the efficiency of these services.
• Required space for services: 6.5% - 8.5% of the total area.

Furniture and Furnishing

• Furniture: Tangible elements connecting people with space and serving its purpose.
• Home furnishings/Decoration: Essential for beauty, comfort, and assembly.
• Decoration accessories: Used to enhance beauty, direct attention away from defects, and create a welcoming atmosphere.

Family Needs of the Housing Unit

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: A pyramid model outlining five tiers of human needs: Physiological, Safety, Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization.

Residential Unit Elements

• Classifications: Based on basic needs (sleeping/living/service areas), usage times (night/day activities), design flexibility (flexible/inflexible), and occupancy methods (furniture placement/movement areas).

Space Concept

• Space is a part of the surrounding volume, defined by movement and purpose limitations, and must be both visually and physically available.
• This concept involves the sequence of movement and stopping to achieve specific purposes.

Main Determinants of Human Relationship With Housing Space

• Measurement: Dimensions and movement areas for the human body.
• Horizontal study: Length, breadth, and spatial area of horizontal surfaces like floors and ceilings.
• Vertical study: Heights and vertical planes such as walls.

Test your understanding of the various concepts related to housing, including definitions, classifications, and the evolution of the house concept. This quiz will challenge your knowledge of shelter, occupancy, and urban housing classification.