Housing

Kalmandai Co-op Housing

Can good design improve the quality of affordable housing? Habitat Forum (INHAF) and Sustainability Initiative (SI) invited proposals for improving the Livability of Small Low-cost Housing built in our cities. By focusing on incrementality, adaptability at various scales, and a cooperative structure for positive community engagement and long-term growth, our proposal offers an alternative design to the Kalmandai tenements in Trichy built by the Tamilnadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB).

Kalmanthai colony tenements in Trichy was an in-situ slum rehabilitation project by the Tamilnadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) with a total of 192 dwelling units. It is located adjacent to the Gandhi wholesale vegetable market in Trichy’s old city. With individual unit carpet area of only about 26.5 m²the tenements follow a rubberstamp design with minimum dimensions allowed by local regulations. The households earn an income of less than ₹3 lakh per annum. Most work as loadmen in the Gandhi market, as municipality sanitation workers, or are in housekeeping jobs in various institutions and offices.

Existing quality of the tenements

The lack of design and planning can be seen in the numerous State-built housing, especially for the Economically Weaker Section(EWS) and the Low Income Group (LIG). Basic needs such as water & drainage, light, ventilation or access to open space are left undesigned and overlooked.

“Low Income families need more space than they could afford”

Redesign: The entire block as an extended house

Given the small unit sizes, the common areas and outdoor spaces become extended social spaces. The blocks are arranged along a central avenue of open spaces. The central avenue with entrances, community halls, thinnais (platforms), and partial stilts allows flexible use of the plinth, creating a lively social atmosphere. Mid-level terraces offer spaces for social gatherings and practical activities like washing, drying clothes, and gardening.

Redesign: Incrementality & Adaptability

While the houses are small, households grow, and their needs change over time. The basic unit plan includes wet areas and the kitchen, with a fixed balcony position. Ground-floor units feature higher ceilings so that inhabitants can add a mezzanine later. On other floors, units have balconies which can be transformed into room extensions. Thus, each dwelling unit’s carpet area can be expanded if needed.

The co-operative model

Many tenement projects are built and then neglected. Organizing the households in a cooperative model establishes community ownership of the housing and ensures its upkeep. Rentable commercial spaces and other welfare mechanisms would financially feed the co-op which in turn can support the individual households (the co-op members) with small loans, emergency funds, or startup seed money to its members when needed, apart from general maintenance. The housing and the cooperative create a social and financial support system, empowering the community and will ensure long-term growth.