Aranya Low Cost Housing

Aranya Housing, B.V. Doshi 

History of low-cost housing

Urban form and landscape is under constant expansion and growth as people migrate from rural areas in search of livelihood. The result is an urgent housing requirement for the ‘urban poor’, that is often fulfilled through unplanned settlement with substandard quality of life. The idea of low-cost housing for the working class and economically weaker sections of the society has taken different forms over the course of time. The chawls in Mumbai, bustees in Kolkata and the slums all across are some manifestations. This severe housing shortage in cities has produced informal, inadequate and insensitively approached spaces since the colonial period. These were never looked at with a concern for the inhabitants and their life practices but always treated as a problem whose produced solution was superficial or shallow. The questions of design, planning, experience and care are always highly neglected when it comes to housing the urban poor. Are dignified and designed spaces too expensive to afford? Can a livable, healthy and well-nourished dwelling be created on a low budget using clever solutions? The answer to these questions can be sought in a few sympathetic approaches by architects. This paper analyzes the Aranya housing model, the thought process behind its planning and the space created for settling of the poor. 

A change in approach towards housing the urban poor.

Aranya can be described as an experimental, ‘site and services’, mass housing project. But before understanding the architect’s approach, understanding whom the design concerns and what really the needs of these people are is important. The project is primarily for the economically weaker section, intended to accommodate various income groups (EWS, LIG, MIG, HIG) . A ‘pakka ghar’ (durable house) that doesn't need fixing forever,  proximity to job opportunities, other income sources, security of tenure, sufficient living space, availability of basic infrastructure and services, harmonious community life, dignified living, etc. are a few expectations of the low income groups.

The 'beneficiaries' of this scheme were given plots with basic, fundamental resources. They could ask for more services as per their financial strength. Taking into consideration the economic condition of the inhabitants, the approach of enabling residents to develop and grow their house in stages, seems apt and engaging. With basic amenities and infrastructure a house could incrementally be built in layers over time. Thus the residents could customize their homes according to their space making practices and family dynamics. This resulted in diverse and unique structures against the modular, repeated and boring units placed side by side or on top of each other, that added no character and transactional capacity to the neighborhood. The involvement of the community in planning and building their houses ensured the fulfillment of their needs, that a designer coming from a different background will never know of, and created a sense of ownership. Eventually vertical expansion of the house was also seen that might've been built to be shared for additional income.

Source: Author: After Vastu Shilpa Foundation

From shelter to home

The solution for the limited size of EWS plots was shared outdoor spaces that ensured a reasonable amount of area to the individual families and initiated co-living as well as an interactive atmosphere that might've been similar to their traditional lifestyle. These outdoor spaces could also allow setting up of shops and other small scale businesses. The arrangement of areas in the sequence of public, semi public and private is observed. The street is seen replacing the front yard. There's no sharp boundary between the households and the street. The stone paved streets hold numerous temporal activities of the household. Elements like an outdoor staircase or verandahs, though small in size, are means of connecting to the neighborhood and a source of entertainment. In my opinion, even though the sizes of plots varied among different income groups, resulting in smaller corresponding spaces for the poorer, the spatial relation and experience could be seen shared throughout. The sharing of public places and resources creates a sense of social equality and inclusivity among various economic groups of people. 

Eighty model houses built by the architect presenting the possibilities of developing and shaping the built form within the constraint of provided land gives an insight to the potential community life and affordances. The concrete slabs of houses making a series of terraces can be used for sleeping in hot summer nights, for drying clothes, flying kites, gazing stars, making papads. This might be a new experience for urban poor who lived in more informal situations. These terraces visually connect people to their community network and create a new ground for interaction between households. 

Source: Author: After Vastu Shilpa Foundation

The built and unbuilt in a sector

The urban network

The township is planned in between the existing city roads and a highway, on the outskirts of the city. Even though it is now a part of the city's fabric, the relocation of urban poor from the prime areas of the city would've affected their economic practices and informal income. The site is divided into six sectors by the proposed grid pattern of the road network. Each sector is supplied with a capillary system of internal streets that connects each household to the hierarchical road network as well as the common public spaces and institutional facilities. The non-residential and commercial activities are concentrated in the town center providing equal accessibility for the entire settlement. The central spine road branches at right angles. This geometric approach establishes order and ease of movement. The open spaces or gardens are not broken and embedded into the settlement. Instead they continuously diverge from the town center into each sector in a zigzag formation turning and folding around residential clusters, like fingers, providing relief in areas of high density.

After life of Aranya Housing 

Aranya changed the perspective of approaching low-cost housing settlements by prioritizing quality of life and the right to a wholesome space for all, alongside affordability. However, this approach of 'designing with care' was short-lived due to the increased involvement of the private sector in housing policies. The standardization of housing forms for the urban poor—despite their varying spatial needs—and the sole focus on affordability in the new projects, led to structures that the inhabitants could not resonate with. Although the execution deviated from the original plan, Aranya remains a successful model and a significant advancement in low-cost housing. It effectively integrates various socio-economic classes while prioritizing the needs of its inhabitants.

References

“Aranya Community Housing.” n.d. AKDN. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://the.akdn/en/how-we-work/our-agencies/aga-khan-trust-culture/akaa/aranya-community-housing.

“Aranya low cost housing-BV Doshi | PPT.” 2018. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/aranya-low-cost-housingbv-doshi/86627515.

Foundation, Vastu S. 1990. Aranya - An Approach To Settlement Design. Ahmedabad: HUDCO.

Gupte, Rupali, and Prasad Shetty. 2022. “Small Forces.” https://read.dukeupress.edu/public-culture/article-abstract/34/3%20(98)/537/319627/small-forces.

Kumar, Meet. 2022. “(PDF) Critical Analysis of Aranya Low-cost housing : Housing - 5th Semester B.Planning.” ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364816986_Critical_Analysis_of_Aranya_Low-cost_housing_Housing_-_5th_Semester_BPlanning.