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CREATING AN AFFORDABLE HOME
As a solution to the housing shortage, I propose converting a high-end residential property created for high-income individuals into an affordable property that anyone between the upper and lower middle classes can afford.
There are four buildings on the property, each of which is a semi-detached house with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a kitchen, and a garage; that building also has two elevators.
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What makes a home affordable comes down to simple math. When you subtract your monthly rent or mortgage from your take-home pay, you should have enough money to meet your basic needs.
Housing is considered affordable when it’s appropriate for the needs of a range of very low to moderate income households and where families or an individual can afford 30 percent or less of their income.
The design on the floor plan was based on creating a space that meets the basic needs shelter, food, water, sleep and clothing. On the ground floor, there is a lobby where you must enter with a key card. A computer room, a recreation room, and two fully accessible bathrooms are available. From the first floor to the third floor, there are eight units. The square footage of the building is 7,842 sq. ft.
Every unit is designed based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be met before individuals can attend to needs higher up. Therefore, I believe that affordable homes need to meet the basic needs requirements before considering any additional features; the home design must first meet the basic needs before meeting the next-level needs.
Before the design can “Wow” us, it must work. It must meet the basic needs, otherwise, nothing else matters.
The basic needs requirements are food, shelter, water, Air, and clothing. Without these, a house would not be home. While the basic concern for liveable housing is to provide adequate light, tolerable temperature, proper ventilation, and sanitation.
The shelter is essential for the existence of man against extreme weather. After fulfilling the fundamental need requirements, other things can be considered, such as aesthetics, recreational rooms, etc. the main focus of my design is to meet the basic need requirements before anything else.
