LIVING SPACES

The issue of housing relates to people and their homes. For most people it is the most treasured possession, their social statement and security net. It usually gets exhibited with pride, and its character and contents present an extension of their personality.

Almost everybody, the developer, the contractors, the property agent, the local planning authority, the architect, and the design and build teams all take key decisions about the facilities, workmanship, quality, appearance and design of these properties without any of them actually finally living in these homes. Strange it may sound, but apart from a few individual houses, the vast majority of homes are built without any significant inputs from their end users. In case of apartments the tale of woe is even longer.

Metro Valley has engaged with a number of respondents worldwide across segments to assess what key deliverables fulfill the under layer of their actual needs and thereafter create a ready reckoner to guide them into prudent and economically viable buying decisions.

Key Questions 

How can people be helped to bridge the gap between their aspirations and their living reality?

Since most people have never bought a home before, how to guide them into appreciating the things that they really want and need from a home?

Since most homes are paid for in installments, what significant measures can they take to ensure that they get the best offering for their money?

How to help a person deeply engaged in his career to assess the difference between his needs, wants and aspirations? What should be given more weightage to?

How can user friendly check list be created to help compare between 4 or 5 dwelling options which fall into the buyer's budget?

How can a ready-reckoner be created which can help a buyer to settle for a purchase decision that will be healthier, more environmentally friendly, and that would be less demanding in terms of energy costs and maintenance?

Focus Areas

• Peoples preference between low
  and high rise residences
• Global pattern of issues with High Rise Apartment living
• Issues of noise, safety, security, access and parking in apartment living
• Peoples anxieties and expectations during selecting their homes
• How to enhance social capital and interactivity amongst apartment owners
• Creating standards for good indoor environment for residences
• Importance of window designs in residential apartments
• Relation between spatial configuration, apartment organization and usable living area
• Tradeoffs between thermal comfort and better visibility apartments
• Creating a guideline for selection of residential apartments
• How to foster community living experience in high rises
• Development of a buyer oriented framework for apartment selection