Housing And Ventilation

Dr R.K Ludam
Dept Of Community Medicine
V.S.S.M.C.H Burla
 Housing
 “Housing “ in modern concept includes not only the
physical structure providing shelter but also the
immediate surroundings and the related community
services and facilities.
 It may be defined as-” all places in which a group of
people reside and pursue their life goals; the size of
settlement varies from a single family to millions of
people.
 The immediate surroundings of residential building are
often referred as neighborhood or microdistrict.
 WHO expert group (1961) on public health aspects
of housing prefers to use the term ;residential
environment’
Social Goals Of Housing-:
a) Shelter
b) Family Life
c) Access to community facilities
d) Family participation in community life
e) Economic Stability
 The Implementation of social goals in housing requires that
govt. should-
- Introduce social housing schemes
- Establish both minimum and maximum standard
- Create financial and fiscal institutions geared to helping low
income people obtain credit for building and improving their
house.
 Criteria for healthful housing-:
 Healthful housing provides physical protection and shelter
 Provides adequately for cooking,eating,washing,and excretory
functions
 Is designed,constructed,mantained and used in a manner such as
to prevent the spread of communicable diseases
 Provides for protection from hazards of exposure to noise and
pollution
 Is free from unsafe physical arrangements due to construction or
mantainance,and from toxic or harmful materials
 Encourages personal and community development, promotes
social relationships ,reflects a regard for ecological principles and
finally promotes mental health
 Housing Standard-:
 Social and economic characteristics such as family income, family
size and composition, standard of living,lifestyle,stage in life
cycle, education and cultural factors are taken into account.
 Because of cultural diversity and other factors such as climate and
social traditions, standard of housing varies from country to
country and from region to region.
 In short-there cannot be rigid, uniform standards
 The standards in India are those recommended by the
EHC(1947)
 Site-:
- should be elevated from its surroundings
- should have an independent access to a street of adequate width
- should be away from breeding places of mosquito and flies
- should be away from nuisances such as
dust,smoke,smell,excessive noise, and traffic.
- should be in pleasant surrounding
- soil should be dry and safe for founding the structure and should
be well drained.
- The sub-soil water should be below 1o feet
 Set Back-: -It is the open space all around the house which
allows proper ventilation and lightening
- In rural areas it is recommended that the built-up area should
not exceed one third of total area.
- In urban areas it is allowed upto two-third of total area.
- The set back should be such that there is no obstruction of
lighting and ventilation.
- e.g.
 Floor-: -Should be Pucca and satisfy the following criteria-:
- should be impermeable ,so that easy to clean and dry
- must be smooth and free from cracks and crevices to prevent
the breeding of insects and harbourage of dust
- it should be damp-proof
- the height of the plinth should be 2-3 feet(0.6 t o 1 mtr)
 Walls-: - reasonably strong
- should have a low heat capacity
- weather resistance
- unsuitable for harbor of rats and vermin
- not easily damaged
- smooth ( 9 inch brick with wall plastered smooth and colored
cream or white)
 Roof-: -Should not be less than 10 feet (3 mtr) in the absence of
air-conditioning for comfort.
- should have a low heat transmittance co-efficient
 Rooms-: - should not be less than two,atleast one of them can
be closed for security
- the other may be open on one side if that side is a private
courtyard
- No. should be increased as per the family members
 Floor Area-: - should be at least 120 sq ft for more than one
person and at least 100 sq ft for single person
- floor area per person should not be less than 50 sq mtr
 Cubic Space-:at least 500 c.ft per capita preferably 1000 c.ft

 Windows-: every living room should be provided with atleast 2

windows and one of them should open directly on to an open space
- the windows should be placed at a height of more than 3 feet(1 m)
above the ground in living rooms
- windows area should be 1/5th of the floor area doors and windows
combined should have 2/5th the floor area.
 Lighting-:the daylight factor should exceed 1 % over half the floor
area.
 Kitchen-: Must have a separate kitchen
- Must be protected against dust and smoke, adequately lighted,
provided with water supply, provided with a sink for washing utensils
and fitted with arrangements for proper drainage
 Privy-: A sanitary privy is a must for every house, belonging
exclusively to it and readily accessible.
 Garbage and refuse-:Should be removed from the dwelling at least
daily and disposed of in a sanitary manner
 Bathing and Washing-: house should have facility for bathing and
washing belonging exclusively to it and providing proper privacy
 Water Supply-: House should have a safe and adequate water supply
available at all times.
RURAL HOUSING-: Minimum standard suggested-:
- There should be at least two living rooms
- Ample verandah space may be provided
- The build-up area should not exceed one-third of total area
- There should be a separate kitchen with a paved sink or platform for
washing utensils
 The house should be provided with a sanitary latrine
 The window area should be at least 10% of the floor area
 There should be a sanitary well or a tube well within a quarter of a
ample from the house
 It is insanitary to keep cattle and livestock in dwelling house. Cattle
sheds should be at least 25 feet away from dwelling houses. A cattle
shed should be open on all sides an area 8ft×4ft is sufficient for each
head of cattle
 There should be adequate arrangement for the disposal of waste
water, refuse and garbage.
 Housing and Health
- Poor housing is associated with the following health conditions-:
 Respiratory Infection
 Skin infection
 Rat infestation
 Arthropods
 Accidents
 Morbidity and Mortality
 Psychological effects
 Overcrowding
 It refers to the situation in which more people and living within a
single dwelling than there is space for, so that movement is
restricted, privacy secluded, hygiene impossible rest and sleep
difficult.
 Overcrowding is a health problem in human dwelling.
 It may promote the spread of respiratory infections such as
TB,Influenza and Diphtheria.
 Public Policy
 House site and construction assistance

 Indira AwasYojna (IAY)-: Introduced in central sector in 1985-86 as

part of the rural landless employment guarantee programme.
-one room, one kitchen attached with latrine, bathroom and a
smokeless chullah.

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VENTILATION
 It not only means the replacement of vitiated air by a supply of
fresh outdoor air but also control of the quality of incoming air
with regard to its temperature, humidity and purity with a view
to provide a thermal environment that is comfortable and free
from risk of infection.
 Standards Of Ventilation-: Most of the standards of
ventilation have been based on the efficiency of ventilation in
removing body odour.
1) Cubic Space-: minimal fresh air supply ranging from ‘300’ to
‘3000' c.ft. per hour per person
- De Chaumont advocated a fresh air supply of 3000 c.ft per
person per hour.
2) Air Change-: Air change is more important than the cubic
space requirement.
- It is recommended that in the living rooms, there should be 2 to
3 air changes in one hour; in work rooms and assemblies 4 to 6
air changes.
 If the air is changed more frequently. i.e. More than 6 times in
one hour, it is likely to produce a draught and should be
avoided.
 The number of air changes per hour is calculated by dividing the
total hourly air supply to the room by the cubic capacity of the
room
 a space of 1,000 to 1,200 c.ft. per person is quite sufficient.
3)Floor space-:Floor space per person is even more important
than cubic space.
- The optimum floor space requirements per person vary from
50 to 100 sq.ft.
Types Of Ventilation-:
1. Natural Ventilation-: Natural ventilation is the simplest
system of ventilating small dwellings, schools and offices.
 A)The Wind-: The wind is an active force in ventilation.
- when it blows through a room, it is called perflation.
- When there is an obstruction, it bypasses and exerts a suction
action at its tail end - this is called aspiration.
- Doors and windows facing each other provide "cross
ventilation".
B) DIFFUSION : Air passes through the smallest openings or
spaces by diffusion.
- This is a slow process and therefore, is not relied upon as the
sole means of ventilation.
C) INEQUALITY OF TEMPERATURE : Air flows from high
density to low density
- The greater the temperature difference between outside and
inside air, the greater the velocity of the incoming air
 These properties of air are utilised to best advantage by the
proper location of windows, doors,ventilaiors and skylights.
 The chief drawback of natural ventilation is that it is not possible
to regulate the velocity
 Mechanical Ventilation-:
- Types-: 1) Exhaust ventilation (2) Plenum ventilation 3)
Balanced ventilation (4) Air conditioning.
1)Exhaust Ventilation-: In this system, air is extracted or
exhausted to the outside by exhaust fans driven by electricity.
- As air is exhausted, a vacuum is created which induces fresh air
to enter the room through windows, doors and other inlets.
- Exhaust ventilation is generally provided in large halls and
auditoria for removal of vitiated air.
- The exhaust fans are housed in apertures in the external walls,
high up near the roof which facilitate removal of the upper
layers of the heated light air.
2)PLENUM VENTILATION-: In this system, fresh air is blown
into the room by centrifugal fans so as to create a positive
pressure, and displace the vitiated air. Plenum or propulsion
- plenum is used for supplying air to air-conditioned buildings
and factories.
- Air is delivered through ducts at desired points.

3) BALANCED VENTILATION-: This is a combination of the

exhaust and plenum systems of ventilation.
- The blowing fan must balance the exhaust fan.
 4) AIR CONDITIONING -: Air conditioning is defined as "the
simultaneous control of all”( i.e.-temperature, humidity, air
movement, distribution, dust, bacteria, odours and toxic gases,
most of which affect in greater or lesser degree the human
health and comfort.)
- Air conditioning is popular in large institutions, hospitals,
industries and dwellings.
- Its use in operation theatres is of particular value in control of
pathogenic organisms in the air.
- Large institutions or hospitals often install central air
conditioning system for entire building
-Where the temperature difference is large between outside
atmosphere and air conditioned room, "transition room" is
sometimes provided.