Rethinking the Malaysian Affordable Housing Design Typology in View of Global Warming Considerations

Abstract

With the advent of the global warming and the resulting climate change, many sectors of a country's socio-economic activities have taken several initiatives to reduce environmental destruction without compromising human physiological and psychological needs. This includes human need for comfortable and affordable homes. Over the years, the design typologies for affordable housing have evolved from a two-bedroom to a compulsory three-bedroom dwelling in order to address the cultural need to separate siblings of different sexes in separate rooms. Build up area from the initial 550 square feet has risen to the now 700 square feet. This article advocates for a more humane design to include the element of environmental comfort to come into play in the design typology for future affordable housing even though some compromises have to be made in terms of price. This paper compares the existing affordable housing design status quo and suggests a new design paradigm in view of the requirements by the Malaysian Green Building Index.