Providing Adaptability of Space to Ensure Sustainable Living in Low Cost Housing in Indonesia

AbstractLand scarcity made the Indonesian government decided to develop low cost flats to solve the problem for housing the urban poor rather than ground bound single housing (Kementrian PU, 2012). Not all houses offered to the relocated households have shown to be widely accepted (ADB, 2003). They were difficult to expand as changing family circumstances dictated. Adaptations to meet the changed users’ requirements involve demolition and result in waste generation which is detrimental to sustainable development (Friedman, 2007).Through activity based analysis, this research aimed to evaluate adaptability of space due to sustainable living in the low cost housing in Indonesia. For this, 300 families of all 14 low cost rental apartment locations were investigated as the total of apartment units in Surabaya was 3459, therefore 21-27 units of each location were taken as sample. Result shows that for functionality, all unit parts of low cost rental apartment units in Surabaya, except the balcony, were provided only between 50% and 55% of the standard. For adaptability, only by the installation of a mezzanine, that fully covering the area of multi-functional space can fulfil the use of space except Tanah-Merah as this upward adaptation could double the area of existing space. The changing capacity for corridor occupation is found to be 1.11, while for the installation of half area mezzanine is 1.5, and for the changing of balcony to a bedroom is 1.16 on average. However, Penjar-3 and I.T.S. could not allow their top spaces as liveable space because their unit height is just 2.65m