Extract

The incremental construction of low-income housing, in progressive urban settlements in Davao City, Philippines, was observed being directly related to the improvement on the degree of security of tenure. Housing as material expression of the status of its inhabitants, there is a need to further explore on the spatial configuration of low-income housing classified in five contiguous categories from formal to informal housing types. Space syntax analysis is used by architects to examine spatial configuration of houses as reflection of social and environmental outcomes of human movement and social interaction. Thus, the aim of this paper is to use space syntax analysis technique to explore spatial morphology of low-income housing cases from a simple shack in informal settlement to becoming more formal housing types; illustrate interior spatial pattern; and, interpret interior spatial configuration. Space syntax analysis of houses in progressive urban settlements is compared with a housing unit in a planned and completed socialised housing subdivision. This paper maintains a claim that housing, in low-income settlement in developing country, is socially constructed as demonstrated by the valuable contribution of the people, who shape, and whose behaviour is shaped by, the built environment.

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