Group-4 Angooribagh Housing

SITE PLAN The site covers 470,000 square feet in the residential area of the Defence Society in Lahore. It is bound on two sides by vehicular roads and is seperated by a canal from the katchi abadi (squatter settlement).

787 dwellings are arranged in 3 storey blocks, and grouped in clusters of 14. The clusters are arranged in staggered rows to form open spaces. Circulation on the site consists of pedestrian streets. Access to upper levels is from exterior stairs. The 3-storey housing is broken by several 1 or 2 storey blocks; adding a diversity to the profile. Units are of two categories. It was mainly built for low income group people. It was designed in such a manner, so as to go in harmony with culture , context, climate and life style of local people.

Units are of two categories. Category One includes 12 feet by 45 feet and consists of 1 room, a covered verandah and an enclosed courtyard.

Category Two consists of two rooms, a verandah and a courtyard. In both cases, the kitchen forms an enclosure within the verandah , the w.c. and bath open to the courtyard.

The project was designed with a minimum area for each unit. They are arranged using a staggered form and made from the cheapest local bricks. The cluster grouping minimizes construction cost, while providing maximum protection from the intense summer . The verandahs and courtyards provide cross ventilation  and increase small floor areas. They are enclosed by brick jallis to ensure privacy, allow ventilation and filter the sunlight .

The floor slabs and roof are of reinforced concrete poured in place. Window frames are of wood.  All materials are produced locally, except steel, which is imported and rolled locally.

Units were designed in a compact arrangement with strong emphasis for the continued progression of the existing social pattern and cultural practice of the people. The scale is intimate with each unit designed with adequate ventilation, daylight provisions and access to private open spaces in rooftops and courtyards. All these made possible by clever use of interlocking and overlapping of space, especially in the 3-storey clusters.

The choice of materials used is locally manufactured clay bricks which are in harmony with a majority of the existing townscape.  Access to the housing units are primarily via paved pedestrian access ways and externally expressed staircases with overhead bridges linking the upper units.

This low rise linear development thus created appropriate for muslim countries like pakistan. The buildings are simple and structurally honest. Whenever arches has been used they are structural. They are used below staircases and in lintels. The narrow pedestrian streets are multipurpose as chil dren’s playground, a place for socializing, where people may take their charpoys (street beds) out, a vendor’s selling place ; above all they provide space for human interaction.