INTRO

Creating living spaces is a key task and special responsibility every society in a general sense – and for architects in particular. Housing is a basic need, and yet many people do not have access to adequate housing. Current housing levels are insufficient to meet the ever-increasing levels of demand, which are driven by 3 factors: population growth, urbanization and centralization in conurbations and an increase in per capita living space. The impact of these factors is different in different contexts.

In the case of Bahrain, population growth allied with high per capita living space (average of 200m2 per household) has led to an equally high land surface occupation and to an increasing unbalance between income and prices. 

We looked at the relationships between average income and cost of living and calculated the amount of living space obtainable for 30% of the average income. It should be kept in mind that it is largely low-earning groups that are affected by the housing shortfall. 

The evaluation shows that in Bahrain, the average living space for low-income citizens should range between 90 to 108 m2 (the calculation considers the minimum wage of 300BHD, current construction prices per m2 between 250 and 300 BHD and a 0% interest rate loan of 25 years). The living space area increases between 153 to 184 m2 considering the official national average salary (510BHD ).

The Ministry of Housing in Bahrain has been gradually reducing the living space area in recent years in a clear attempt to match citizens income – the official average areas have been reduced from 200m2 to 125m2 in 2017. 

It is important therefore for architects, to understand that affordable living cannot consist solely in a reduction of living space areas. The affordable housing issue is seen as an economic and as a political problem, leading to a widespread discussion of economic measures to relieve it, such as financing and amortization models used by Bahrain government. However, we need to concern ourselves with discovering the solutions offered by architects and urban planners. It should focus on buildings and their construction but also in urban planning factors such as density, land use and infrastructure.

 

DESIGN CHALLENGE

In its 5th Edition, Eskan Bank is calling architecture students to rethink the traditional concept of a Bahraini home by asking this initial question. The question implies a deep understanding of Bahrain society, affordable housing strategies and available construction methods: 

−    Is it possible to build as small as possible, as cheap as possible, as dense as possible while fulfilling the Bahraini sense of standing and self-realization? 

−    Can Small be Beautiful?

The students are asked to investigate affordable solutions being explored in countries experiencing an explosive urban growth in its urban centres and cross-reference it with the Bahraini society and construction industry. The end result should reflect this process of assimilation, interpretation and adaptation into innovative solutions for the future of Bahraini affordable housing.

Bahrain residential reality is characterized mainly by the individual housing unit and the high-rise vertical building, each composed of extremely similar dwelling units. This year’s competition is asking for alternatives equally functional but more economical and more appealing to Bahraini citizens, therefore conventional solutions much be avoided.

The proposed solutions have to:

−    be based on Bahrain average household size (4 to 6 members);

−    contain all the functional components considered necessary for Bahraini citizens;

−    include the facilities and services considered necessary for Bahraini citizens;

−    not exceed, in any circumstance, a total built-up area of 125 (minimum  3B) to 160 (4B) m2;

−    consider the construction industry in Bahrain to maximize cost-quality relationship;

−    achieve high quality, an optimal cost-benefit relationship, and resident satisfaction with low cost; 

−    propose alternative solutions to compensate for the reduction of the dwelling unit area.