Preface

Welcome to septemberten.blogspot.com. This site is dedicated to publishing my writings as and when I am able to pen my thoughts and opinions. This blog will serve as my portal of connection between me and my lecturers, my course mates and all people.

I’m a Planning student currently study at USM Penang. This blog will focusing on my Planning Studio’s assignment and the topic, Quality of life: Housing Quality.

In this blog, some of it, I also will include some articles related to the building and construction environment, urban planning and many more that relevant. In while, I will improve my blog to make it more interesting. Hope you all do great and live in harmony. Make the world a better place.

Enjoy,Plan success to success

HOUSING QUALITY: EFFECT TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE

1. Mentioning the 'quality housing', i use to refer to as housing that free from defect.

2. Bigger the scope, quality housing is how we fulfill the needs of the occupant by providing a
good condition of houses(refer to the standard), good facilities, fresh environment and great
atmosphere of neighbourhood.

2. House itself, should be the most important aspect as we look on how to provide a quality
housing. For example, houses with good quality of workmanship and materials.

3. Literally, the term "defective" may not accurately be used in the context of a building, but it is
common in the construction industry that the term "defective" be used interchangeably with
the term "sub-standard"

4. By providing a good quality of house, we are about to:

• ensure that every person get the same quality of a good nature such as fresh air, clean water and etc.
• concern about the spaces, All person provided by a good atmosphere, enough as long as he or she feel comfortable.
• try to create a community in harmony. All member of the society participate in every community activity.
• the housing standards is a guidelines for developer/contractor to obey in order to give protection to the house-buyer so that they get at least the minimum requirement for their house.
• Shifting from squatters to well-planned housing area is one of the smart action taken by the government to increase the quality of housing are that we are talking at.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Is a multidimensional set of values, unique to each organism, person and context. According to the WIKIPEDIA, the Quality of life is defined as the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people.

Human health, population dencity, development and the environment are intimately related. As expected, the figure of population will exceed 8 billion by the year 2020. Nearly quarter of them were unable to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing, according to UNESCO.

Population growth is greatest in developing countries and this growth helps accelerate environmental degradation and human poverty. Half of all people in developing countries still do not have safe water to drink, as each day many million children die because hunger and illness.

In many cities of developed and developing countries, crime, drug abuse, car accidents, stress, urban decay and pollution negativelyaffect people’s lives.

Sustainable development, which involves environmental protection, contributes to the improved health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Towards sustainable development, housing quality is part of major action that should be taken by the authorities to ensure the quality of house provide a good space to each person.

The topic of housing quality will be discuss in the next post.

HOUSING QUALITY: THE HOUSING INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

HOUSING QUALITY: THE HOUSING INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

Quality Housing For All

The housing industry in Malaysia is regarded as one of the major industries contributing to the economic and social development of the country. The industry is regulated by several sets of rules and the imposition of regulations, guidelines and standards is to ensure that all categories of houses, inclusive of houses for the lower income group will be constructed according to the acceptable standard.

Hartamas house unit

Despite the existence of these regulatory measures, yet there are many problems faced by house-buyers in Malaysia. This has to be affiliated with the level of commitment of housing developers as well as the enforcement of the above rules and regulations by the respective authorities. One of the most common problems encountered by the Malaysian house buyers is the sub-standard construction of houses. There is a standard form of sale and purchase agreement (S&P) stipulated under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989 (HD Regulations 1989) but as far as the problem of sub-standard construction of houses is concerned, Malaysian house-buyers are not well protected. In general there is no benchmark in Malaysia to measure the standard of quality of houses constructed by developers.

Related Agencies

Three most important institutions related to the building of quality houses, namely the local authorities, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MHLG) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), in ensuring that houses constructed by developers will meet the quality that house-buyers expect. It is hoped that all quarters involved in the Malaysian construction industry be they professionals or semi professionals as well as policy makers will take into account the enforcement of the laws and practices in other jurisdictions as reference for the construction of quality houses.

QUALITY OF LIFE; THE INTERACTION

The interaction

Nature is passive, humans are not. That message means that the value of our lives is a fluid quantity. It depends upon many dynamic aspects, relating not only to our own attitudes but to those of our society and our physical or environmental context.

As a human we have far more say in our own Quality of Life than other creatures, indeed since we base much of our perceived social fitness on abstract ideas of worth we are in a position to change this fitness globally, almost overnight. What is required to maximise Quality of Life is largely awareness. Awareness of options, of alternatives, of the different attitudes than can be taken, of the limitations of conventional thought processes.

Many of our essays and the complexity ideas behind them relate to the re-evaluation of our thought patterns, of our way of treating the world.

In essence this means a move from a static mechanical and materialistic perception of reality to an organic multilevel perception of a dynamic and changing reality. In the latter we are all connected parts of one global ecosystem, interdependent and interrelated.

What we do affects other people, it affects their Quality of Life - their fitness and they in turn (in coevolutionary fashion) affect ours. Taking these interactions into account is the key to maximising fitness both as individuals and as a species. This is a multidimensional task, there are many values, at many need levels and many social groupings. This web of diversity comprises our Quality of Life.

HOUSING QUALITY ; THE STANDARDS

1. Towards a better quality of life, there is an increase of demand on Housing quality. Housing is art of placing people within certain area by providing enough basic needs such as house, food, clothes etc.
2. Residential and neighborhoods satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality, which affects individuals’ quality of life.
3. In specifics, the quality of any housing unit must meet a certain standards. In Indianapolis, United States, the public authority has perform a control by detailing a guidelines namely ‘Housing quality standard’
4. Housing Quality Standards (HQS)

1. What are Housing Quality Standards(HQS)?

Housing Quality Standards showing how the public authority control housing development within their territory. The standards is to ensure that the housing it remains decent, safe, and sanitary.

2. HQS Requirements

· General

· Kitchen

· Bathroom

· Bedrooms

· Steps and Porches

· Site Hazards

· Smoke Detectors

· Water Heaters

· Garbage Disposing

General

The unit must include a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and one living/sleeping room for every two family members.

Ceilings and walls must be in good condition, with no large cracks, holes, peeling or chipping paint, or any loose plaster.

Floors must be in good condition. The floor covering must not be curling or have loose edges or holes.

Windows, including sills, frames, and sashes; must be in good operating condition and must open and close.

There can be no broken, cracked, or missing panes. Windows must have permanently attached, adequate locks.

All rooms must have either two working outlets; or one working outlet and an overhead light or light fixture.

All outlets, switches, and electrical boxes must have covers with no exposed or fraying wires. All electrical splices must be properly contained in junction boxes with covers.

Kitchen

Stove. All burners must work. If equipped with a pilot light, the pilot light must light the burners.

The oven must work and its door must close tightly. All parts must be functional.

Refrigerator. The door gasket must be attached to the door, forming a proper seal.

Sink. Must have hot and cold running water, a drain with trap, and be properly hooked to a sewer line. Neither the faucet or sink can leak or drip.

There must be adequate food preparation and storage areas, with adequate means to dispose of food wastes.

Bathroom

Toilet. There must be a private flush toilet fastened tightly to the floor.

Sink. See Kitchen.

Tub or Shower. There must be a bathtub or shower.

Ventilation. There must be adequate ventilation either from an operable window or an exhaust fan.

Floor. There can be no rotten or weak areas in the floor, or any water damage.

Bedrooms

Windows must open and be large enough to us as an emergency exit. There must be a door which can be closed.

Heating

There must be a heating system capable of heating the unit to a comfortable temperature. Furnaces must be serviced every two years, and tested at the initial inspection.

Steps and Porches

Porches, balconies, decks, etc., more than 30 inches above the ground must have a railing 36 inches high. All inside and outside stairs must have a handrail, and be structurally sound.

Site Hazards

There can be no hazards on the site, such as dilapidated structures, trash, debris, unlicensed vehicles, or non-maintained vegetation.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors must work, be located outside each sleeping area, and on each floor of the rental unit. Hearing impaired tenants require smoke detectors with lights. Laundry rooms require smoke detectors or heat detection devices.

Water Heaters

Water heaters in units and laundry rooms must have a properly installed pressure relief valve and hot-water tolerant discharge line (no PVC). The discharge line must extend downward to within 18-24 inches from the floor if not routed outside.

Garbage Disposing

Each unit must have adequate garbage disposing and storage facilities.