Responsible architecture for housing

Responsible architecture for housing

The sudden increase of urbanization around the globe has naturally lead to a drastic problem of space. Within the developing nations this has lead to the illegal and legal forms of shanty town dwelling, such as this town from Venezuela (illegally built). The aim of building is to use space wisely, there is no additional space for luxury, such as gardens or parks.

How can modern architecture become responsible to take into consideration of the rising population and is it reasonable to say that in the Western societies people will engage with such housing designs, when traditionally we have been brought up with large estate houses and the suburban family homes and cottages.

Tokyo has a massive population and the architecture of the city reflects this large urban population increase within even our modern cities. Surely this is a call for design which is functional, affordable and space worthy, especially for the younger generations with a tight budget. For cities such as Tokyo there is a need to design to use the best with the space available. Design in this sense is a necessity rather than a luxury. In order to avoid the hygiene issues which come along side the typical shanty towns, more should be done to help improve living in small conditions and making the most of the space available.

"In an age of "McMansions," this international survey of the latest in residential architecture proves that small is beautiful-and responsible. The houses profiled are designed to make maximum use of the smallest possible footprint in order to protect the environment. The houses profiled here prove that efficiency as well as beautiful, thoughtful design can be had in a tiny setting. Each project includes a case history describing its design challenges and how the architect overcame them, a detailed blueprint for each house, full-color photos of the interior and the exterior, and plans of the layout."­

http://www.landliving.com/articles/0000000818.aspx