2.2 Ideology of sustainable building.

Environmental threats such as climate changing, loss of non-renewable fuel, toxic pollution and lack of bio-diversity are a main concern around the world.  Different rules, activities and other initiatives are taken to find a solution for the coming generations and to maintain a sense of responsibility towards the environment. As per Slessor (1996) half of the non-renewable resources are wasted by the buildings and homes making buildings one of the major contributors to these issues. Hence sustainable architecture is an effort by the building industry to bring a small dent in these numbers.

‘It is design that improves the quality of life today without diminishing it for the next generation.’-Robert Bekebile, AIA, (1996)

Sustainable architecture or green architecture can be defined in many ways. It is a system that considers the environment and as well the users of the buildings. It focuses on the physical, economical, social, cultural and behavioural aspects of the building and the people.  All the components of the building design such as the site, materials, quality, and resources are interrelated to one another to result in an energy efficient sustainable building that provides the needs of the users.

The orientation of the building, the glazing, photovoltaic installations, appliances and the thermal materials used in the building helps to reduce the energy consumption which results in a reduce on the economical expenditure and the maintenance of the building. It also contributes to the decline of waste which impacts on the environmental issues faced today. The attention on the air and thermal quality in the indoor space results in a healthy, comfortable and happy space to the users.

Green building is a building that helps the environment and improves the living conditions of the users. It provides a practical and ethical solution to save and improve the standards of life today to the future generations. It is a step to create a better future.

Literature review (first draft)

1.1   The Capital – Male’

The capital Male’ is located on the southern edge of North Male atoll. The island is approximately 1.97 square kilometres big and is considered the center of development in the country. Male’ has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average high of 30 degree Celsius and an average low of 27 degree Celsius. The island is just 1.5 meters above sea level and lacks the signature white sandy beaches at the sea front. The island of Male’ is further sub divided in four areas; Henveiru, Maafanu, Galolhu and Machangoalhi.

One third of the population of the whole country and approximately 30000 foreign workers call this small island home. The huge number of people has resulted in lot of social, economical and environmental issues in the island. Male is considered a developed island with paved roads, adequate education and health care, but the absence of proper housing is a massive problem faced by the people living in Male.

Housing is a very important factor to have a balance in life. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ‘It (housing) provides a foundation for obtaining employment, for raising children, and for building relationships with neighbours and broader community. Dwelling units that are well maintained and suited to the needs of occupants contribute to general health, well being, and social interaction. Housing that is affordable leaves households with sufficient financial resources to participate fully in the community at large. Households unable to access good housing are potentially at a disadvantage from a variety of perspectives’. But when we look into Male today, the said disadvantages are very much visible.

There are several types of housing found in Male’. Privately owned apartments and houses, rented apartments by private owners and apartment flats provided by the government on a rental basis. Most of the buildings are built vertically to a maximum height of 11 storeys. However there are a few houses that are just one or two storey high. Most of the privately owned tower blocks are small in size mostly due to the concept of land dividing among inheritors.

The limitations in the land have made it very difficult to find a solution for the overcrowding issues faced in Male. It has made the island a concrete jungle filled with small tower blocks with no green space. Construction has become one of the main industries in the country and has been a contributor to the environmental threats. There is no sound policy adapted by the government on the overcrowding issue. More apartment towers are built by the government to be awarded to registered citizens of Male only. However this does not have much of an impact on the crowding issue because as per the 2000 Census nearly 50% of the population is people who have migrated from other islands.

As per a survey done by the Human Rights commission the continuing increase in population and decline in land availability has resulted in an increase in the rents and value of land making it unaffordable to most of the working class people. It also showed that most of the participants pay 85% of their income on rent and utilities. The life of Male citizens is a circle of paying rent and utilities which has resulted in a lot of social problems between the families and the community itself.

The citizens do not have an economical stability and most people settle in apartments that are not adequate enough for the family due to the high rents and utility bills. As per a study done in 2002 titled ‘Urban Poverty study’ by Aslam M shakir (prepared for Ministry of National Planning and Development, with the assistance of UNFPA) 60% of households are overcrowded where the average of 2.97 people per sleeping room. The lack for privacy and comfort in their own homes has resulted in lot of social catastrophes in the island. In addition to the social problems overcrowding results in health and safety issues as well.

For a crowded island, Male is considered a clean and well maintained island. The roads are clean yet small with lack of parking to the huge number of motor vehicles found. It is a small island but the people in Male use motorbikes and cars as a main form of transportation rather than walking.

The possibilties of sustainable architecture in Male - INTRODUCTION

Maldives is a country known around the world for its beauty and tranquility. It consists of 1190 islands spread across an area of 90000 square kilometers. Among these island is the busy and crowded capital city Male. The beauty of the country is very much over shadowed at the capital as one third of the population lives at an area of 1.97 square kilometers of land; making it one of the most densely populated island in the world.

The capital city which is the commercial hotspot of the country consists of all the main government offices, most of the educational and health institutes. The city is filled with constructions of small block towers to accommodate the high number of population. The lack of land and vertical limitations causes people to live in cramped up spaces, creating social and health problems among the people. The expenses for the maintenance and rent are so high that it is mostly unaffordable to the people creating economical troubles among the people. In addition to these issues, the high number of construction works, crowding and high motor traffic in the city has lead to air pollution and various other environmental threats to the city.

Today the whole world is shifting towards the green movement. It is a movement that focuses on the surrounding environment and as well focus on the social and economical needs of the people living in the space; making it a convenient solution for Male today. The introduction of sustainable buildings in to the housing system of Male could be a step forward in solving the issues faced by the people and as well bring a small dent in the environment threats faced by the island. The materials, energy efficiency, spatial arrangements and appliances could result in a space that is socially and economically friendly to the people and as well a space that is good to the environment.

Hence in this dissertation paper I would be looking in to the feasibility, perks to the people, benefits to the environment and practicality of implementing some of the sustainable strategies in housing buildings of Male. Both a qualitative and quantitative approach would be used as a methodology to gain the necessary data and information for this paper. An online survey would be conducted among the people of Male to have a better understanding of the existing situations and issues faced by them. As well an interview with a local architect from Male would be conducted to gain more knowledge on the technical aspects of the existing buildings and additionally to gain expertise advice on the implementation and feasibility of the green strategies in Male.  Furthermore to support my dissertation paper I would be looking in to the second hand research methods of different books, websites, online journal, online lectures, videos and existing buildings related to the green building strategies and implementation.

Dissertation.....

Its my last year of my degree in BA(Hons) Interior Architecture and Design and in order to pass it with flying colors, am supposed to write a dissertation about an existing issue.Thus I chose an issue that is related to the city I call home.

Male' the capital as mentioned in my previous post the people are faced with many difficulties due to the over crowding, and environmental threats.

Through some light research I found this book called Green metropolis by David Owen which suggests that living smaller, living closer and driving less are the keys to sustainability. So I thought the capital city Male' has got all these factors but yet is not sustainable. Why?  I believe that it maybe because not much people are aware of sustainable living  or maybe because nobody has tried in the capital yet. So I decided to base my research paper to find out how we can adapt a sustainable housing, the economical feasibility and the advantages that could be gained by the people of  Male in the hope to make the city a more pleasant and relaxing place to all.

The city I call home....Male'

Maldives, a country known for its white sandy beaches, mesmerizing underwater scenery, and tranquility, consists of 1190 islands spread across an area of 90000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean. The island that I live in is the capital city, Male'; the heart of the country.

Male' is the commercial hotspot of the country accommodating all the main government offices including the president’s office, two hospitals, several schools, higher education colleges, and most of the main retail shops. Unlike other islands the capital lacks a natural beach due to the development of the city. However the beach front is kept very open with not much high rise buildings. An artificial beach has been built there to provide the people with a space for relaxation in the busy city. Almost all roads are narrow and have a width of one car, but with the exception of a few that have combined width of 2-3 cars. They are always congested with traffic, as only few choose walking as a mean of transportation around the city. For a dense city, the capital is well kept in most areas, however some small areas are found to be littered and dirty.

     

                                 One of the main roads in Male - Majeedhee magu

One third of the total population lives in the Male’ making it one the most densely populated islands in the world. Male’ is approximately 1.97 square kilometers of land. In my opinion there are several factors that influence the dense population in the island. Since Maldives is a developing country not all islands are provided with good health care and good education. This makes people from the islands to migrate to the capital city where these needs are provided adequately. Adding to the high population is the number of foreign workers brought to work in the growing construction industry. It is sad to say that due to the lack of a correct urban plan, and the vertical and horizontal building limitation, proper and affordable housing is not provided to everyone in the city. Male’ has become a concrete city, making the people live in a compact housing system. Due to the compact lifestyle of the people, a lot of social and economical problems are faced every day. 

                                    Privately owned apartment flats in Male

In addition to the dense population, environmental threats are on the rise. Some people say that Maldives will sink in the future years due to global warming. Soil erosion and pollution has increased and become a concerning matter to the people. There has been an initiation to reduce the carbon foot print of the country. Also other environmental projects have been started around the country to find solutions to the environmental issues. Personally I feel that the construction industry, the third main industry of country, is one of the main contributors to these threats. The built up area of the capital takes up most of the land space giving not enough space for greenery in the city. Since there is not enough land to have a green space I believe that bringing the green into the built up area is a good solution to make the city more environmentally friendly. The sustainable living and eco housing that could be adapted into the housing system could bring a better living standard and economic stability to the people.

                                        The artificial beach at the beach front of Male 
                                                   (picture taken from http://www.pbase.com)

An aerial view of the capital city 

(Picture taken from http://www.tnmv.net)