The viability of 'no-fines' for the production of appropriate housing in Algeria

This study develops issues first explored in the MPhil research: `Techniques for an Appropriate Housing Delivery System and a more Responsive Housing Environment in Algeria' (1989). The MPhil study concluded that more investment and more appropriate building techniques are needed to produce more responsive and durable housing for the urban population. Moreover, it was argued that the No-Fines concrete method has potential to meet user requirements and to achieve positive results. Current government housing policies in Algeria are primarily centred on private sector development and self-building. Self-building- in this study - is housing produced by mainly middle-incomegroups and is built for the owners by private builders. People having access to industrialised housing and self-building are the target groups of this study. In addition, new housing programmes, primarily industrialised and self-built, use foreign dwelling designs and inefficient construction methods, thus perpetuating the housing problem at the production level, and generating more culturally inappropriate dwellings in large numbers. The MPhil study identified the need for further investigation of issues concerning design and production. Thus, the main aims of the PhD research are: (i) to establish culturally appropriate housing design characteristics for northern Algeria, and for Oran in particular; (ii) to study the viability of the proposed No-Fines construction method in Algeria; and (iii) to investigate suitable urban design approaches, feasible in No-Fines, in the particular case of Oran. Funding, land acquisition and cost, cost of building, and rehabilitation are believed to be decisive in improving the housing situation and producing affordable housing. Although these are beyond the scope of this research per se, their significance and need for improvement are points of reference throughout the study. Whilst it is claimed that conventional processes are able to meet large-scale building targets, there is little evidence to suggest that this is the case in Algeria. Hence, the desirability of investigating the potential of intermediate building technology such as the No-Fines concrete method. Firstly, this study has identified common culturally sensitive housing characteristics in the specific case of Oran through literature and field surveys. It concluded that there are three house components customary to most locations, and that there is need for their inclusion in contemporary house design; these are Squifa, West-ed-Dar and Bit. Then, a simple construction method based on No-Fines concrete is proposed. This method appears to be a realistic and rational solution to the Algerian technical and constructional housing problem. However, the Algerian building sector will need incrementally to improve its production process to enable the most effective implementation of this technique. Finally, high-density, low- and medium-rise approaches are posited; these can be generated using appropriate urban design principles, allowing efficient hierarchy of spaces, optimum land use and minimum public open areas. The use of row and cluster house groupings enables effective and flexible implementation of the No-Fines method on a large scale in different urban morphologies suitable for Oran and north Algeria.