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31. In some ,cirOUm!dancest,he volume of housing conatrruc't.Lon in countries , un<iergoing eoonomi.c dev e'Lopraerrt could also be ,increased by encouraging
builqingmethods entailing self-help and mutual aid, by the production of local traditio~al materials and by the use of industrial ~aste.
32. At a higher stage of economic and technical development, when the volume of housing construction 'has substantially expanded, countries may consider using more industrial building methods. It might be worth-While considering, inter alia, the org~i~ationof more advanced sectors of t1:le building industry, making full use of prefabricated oomponents and applying advanced industrial metho<isof production.
33. In introducing and developing more industrialized types of house oonstruction, oountries undergoing industrialization could learn'rouoh from the experience of the more advanoed oountries. The adaptation of thisexp~r:i.enc~should involve different p!:la'ses of scientifio and applied research and experimentation. This should help the developing countries to deoide on the direction and timing of the development of industrial- ..
. ... -...:..---'. . . . . ..~.-:':,:...--.':: '.
metho<is.ln this connexion, ~:1~ntion should be drawn to the consider-able work already carried out and in hand by the ECE Housing Committee in the field of government policies and the oost of living.
34. Countries should try to establish favourable conditions and a
generally propitious a bmo aphez-e for the development of a more industrial
"approach tob.ous.,...building. A pr,erequisite is the existence Of a larg.,...
scale~ well-organized and sustained ,demand for housing. Some of,~;he
objectives of employing more industrial building, methods are reducing the amount of traditionally akilled labour required, economy in the use of oertain materials,
bett~~'~ontrol
of the quality of production, saving of over-all time needed for construction and an eventual reduc-tion of costs. Generally speaking, a more industrial approach to hous-ing construction involvesimp~oved
planning methods, the co-ordination. ~. - . ..•• ';' . !.
of operations in the various stages of building work,the application of standardization, typification (which in the'case'o{ large-scale
E/CN.14/HOU/2 Annex III Page 6
·factory production.of' building components and asaemb Li ss will reduce the IIlUI tiplici t;)i" of types and dimensions of J;lrefabricated elements) and the solution of a number of problems arising in the production, transport and erection of bUilding materials and assemblies. In addition, some of these methods will require a more advanoed specialization of building operations and early pre?aration of the site.
)5.
There is considerable .scope for a continued international exchange of information and experienoe concerning .both traditional and industrial methods of h?using construction. Attention is drawn in this oonnexion to the international non-governmental organizations and in particular to the International Council for Building Researoh, Studies and .Dooumentation (CIB). Bilateral exohanges of dooumentation and of visits by specialists snouldbe encouraged. Attention is also drawn to the pz-ova sd on of fellowships: and' experts through the United Nations Technical Assistanoe Programme.
Conclusions conoerning administrative and organizational requirements in preparation of housing programmes at all levels and the exeoution of such programmes
36. In developing the. administrative and organizational machinery for the execution of a hOusing programme, the natural process is to start with simplified and strategic objectives yielding the maximum short-term aohievements, and at .the same time to build up effective and intelligible procedures and chains of command and effioient administrative, planning and building teams.
37.
In the oourse of this bUildi-up, there is a continual interaction of theory and praotioe •. Br-oad knowledge first leads, to broad action, whioh in turn begins to reveal more of the details of. the problems and eventually leade to ·elaboration, refinement and adjustment of action.Speed in making theseadjuatments isabasio requirement for all the organi2ations involved.
F.·.
,....
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38. The objeotives of the adIllinistrativ,e and organizationals1;ru
oture,
taken as a whole,are to secure the r eeour cee', to formulate tneprogrammes of' ao'tion, to appo'i.rrt agencies to carry out ,the programme and to provide detailed arrangements for ensuring that, the continuous operation of the programme is not held up by general or looal shortages of materials,and manpowil:r. In making such arrangements it is essential to provide for oonstilnt and effioient co-ordination, ·,bothbetween different levels of a-ilth()rity and between the building organization and suppliers of
materials and organizations concerned with building labour.
39. Nothing is more important in' the critical years of launohing a new social housing programme than pub Lt o awareness of what is hapPening.
The support of all chann e Ls of publicity should be enlisted.
40. Supervision of the process of conveying the national target :t'iguril
through tlle central, regional and. local administratiV'e arrangement's to the site on which the dwellings ar~to be built is the primary responsi-bili ty of central government. Tc be successful and satisfactory,
regional and local condi tions must be fully taken into account and regional and local authorities must, therefore, play an important~art
. _ . , r
in the operation. ,Responsibility for the local planning of projects and for all subsequent operaticns, such as the placing of oontracts,th'e selection of the tenants and the management of the completed dwellihgs;
should be placed in 100alhands as soon as possible and to the, fullest' possible extent.
41. Reference has already been made to the importance of establishing short and long-term programmes and to the need for periodio' review and adjustment as neceBsary. In making' adjustments, however, it is important to avoid the costly dislooations and'disruptions which can result from undulyfrequentatid drastic alterations.
42. Informationa?out the progress made is highly desirab"le for the effective management of the execution of a housing programme. Such information might include statistics on the number of dwellings started,
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under construction and completed, and statistics relating tc the supply of key building materials and manpower are also useful. Taken together, data: of this kind form the basis of a policy for preventing more dwell..,.
:;
ings being started than can be :finished expeditiously and, con:ver s ely , for ensuring that resources are fully used , The question whether countries will find it appropriate to colle.ot these statistios, more or fewer data, or even none at ,all, will depend upon the individual
possibilities of the countries concerned. (In the absence of statistics, the building programme maybe supervised to some extent by controlling the SUPPlY of a key building material).
43. Private, individual and co-operative building can play a most important part in. the general and long-term solutions of the housing problem, if only because it provides funds and energies which might otherwise not be turned to good acoount. Accordingly, in the early stages of a programme of social housing construction in a country where the maximum value has to be obtained with limited resources, the appro-priate policy will often be to encourage the expansion of new housing
" . .
of this kind and to ensure - for instance, by a suitable system of legal regulations, or by 9~ntrollingthe rate at which government subsidies are dispensed ..,. that housing in this sector broadly oonforms in quantity and character wi th the general requir~ments of the programme.
44; Itis highly advantageous to collect information about costs of building and land, as a basis for judging the acoeptability of prices for current and future projects. Such data will also form a background for technical. policies directed t01"'ards the reduction of building costs.
45.
In countries undergoing industrialization, it will often be found necessary to encourage industrial· and other enterprises to provide houa-«ing for their own workers. Experience strongly suggests, however, that it is desirable to separate the production and management of such hous-ing from the runnhous-ing of the industrial or other enterprise.
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46. Sinoe housing programmes and policy are largely determined by looal conditions and requirements, it is important that the population, and especially the prospective tenants, should co-operate actively at all stages. It is, therefore, desirable to make organizational arrangements of a kind whioh will enable the population to influenoe not only llhll building, but also the management and utilization of residential houses.
..
E/CN.14/ROU/2 Annex IV· .
ANNEX IV
TECHNICAL EDUCATION .AND TRAINING. ,IN ;TRE,FIEJ:,D OF HOUSING IN AFRICAY .' .'
1. For a long period to come, housing in Africa will include twb different aspects:
- Rousing as a part of modern bUilding - Traditional housing
,.' __ Housing as a part of modern building A.
2.:· Most characteristiofor,·modern building is sp,ecia1ization. Modern buildings ~hemse1ves are functionally specialized; a~ng fUnotional1y
spec~alized ~dern
.
'. : . . .bUildings are also buildings for living, coming.,. .. -,,und~~ the concept of modern housing. Building as a modern trade is also oharaoterized by specialization; faotories and workshops are specialized in produoing various building materials and components whioh ~re marketed by specialized deaiers. Building oontractors
00-operate on the site with specialized installation firms to assemble these ~aterials and components .according to drawings and specifications
.< . ' , ~. .
whioh are made for the owners by architects and specialized consulting
. , , ' ~
. .
.;eng~eers. The society regulates and controls the total machinery by specialized offices, e.g. for town planning, building by-laws, standard-ized oodes of praotice, etc. For modern building, of which housing is an important part, tlierehas developed a :.aye-tem oftraininginst1.tutes in four 'levels: '
(a) Academic top level (university architects and specialized engineers)
(b)
(c) (d)
Teohnioa1 high sohoo1 level (building engineers) Technical medium school level (foremen)
11
This note was prepared, at the request of the seoretariat, by 1.M.Giertz, Principal, Ethio-Swed1sh Institute of Building Technology, Addis Ababa.