- What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” ~ Mother Teresa
- Your home should become a light that illuminates the entire street and community — Rebbe
Housing remains critical for providing safety, security, identity and space for social interaction for families to live, learn and grow together. Housing is also considered major determinant of quality of life besides major propeller of physical, social and economic development. Housing and family invariably remain connected and integrated. Most of learning and unlearning of an individual takes place within the space provided by the four walls of the house. House is known to provide space where family spent majority of the time. Where children are born and brought up; where parents and grandparents interact with other family members. House remains the first school where an individual begins its understanding of the society, social norms and cultural values of the family and society. House provides the space where family gets together to discuss their problems and try to find solutions. House also provides space for celebration whenever there happens to be any occasion in terms of addition to family, marriage etc.
It is said first we first build the house and then house shapes the family. A good house invariably helps in family to grow in a positive direction. House is said to shape the thinking and approach to life of any individual and the family. Large number of crimes happening in society can be attributed to the manner in which majority of people are made to live in adverse conditions in urban areas. Slums are known to be embodiment of poor quality of living and promoter of families which perpetually suffer socially, environmentally and economically.
Considering the multiple implications , providing affordable and appropriate quality housing for all, has been mandated by united nations as the basic agenda of growth and development for all member nations. However, housing despite occupying critical role in human living and national development , remains in crisis, crisis of both quality and quantity. Dynamic nature of housing demands making provision of appropriate housing for all, the most challenging task because housing need and demand never remains static.
Looking at the fabric and structure, a family invariably comprises of persons/ group of persons who are known to be related to each other by virtue of birth, marriage, or adoption and also occupy a common space where they live together. Most critical component of families involves that its members live together, remain physically and socially connected besides showing love and affection toward each other. They care and support each other and remain together in all conditions and contingencies of day to day living. Members of the family may move away from the house for work, study etc. but all return back in the evening to be together. They all work together to promote mutual interest. Each has a defined role in the family where parents support children in the initial stage and in turn children support parents when they grow older. Most of the family time is spent together in the house itself. Home and family are like a nest, the center of life, the hub from which all daily experiences extend. Home and family are where one feels most comfortable in the world. Homes are known to create space and platform for making decisions; shaping attitudes, creating awareness, and promoting self-esteem. A healthy home life remains valuable for pursuing a meaningful, healthy and productive life and living.
When a family shares principles and values, they grow together. The home becomes a foundation for the family’s shared sense of purpose while providing a springboard for each member to pursue his or her own goals. Children learn how to interact with others by watching their parents. They see and made to learn how to manage and resolve conflict and art of compromise, . Based on the interaction of members, home becomes alive, a source of energy and hope, of urgency and love. It is not the tranquility of a home that makes it peaceful; it is the life within. The ultimate beauty in a home is its emotional and spiritual warmth. A beautiful home must also be free from influences that can pollute its wholesomeness.
House does not merely provide a physical space but also creates a social platform and social space for family to interact and share their values, feelings. thoughts and actions to mutually support and empower themselves to achieve the defined goals of individuals and family. Family requires privacy and space where they can meet. eat and sharing their thoughts and listening to each other. Accordingly, while planning and designing houses , these requirements of the family must be met with, in the most optimum manner. Since the requirements of the family vary considerably depending upon their choices, liking and disliking, age and structure, accordingly houses must be designed to meet the choices and aspirations of the individual family. Since families must be made to live and lead a healthy life according planning, designing and construction of houses must ensure to provide appropriate space and environment which makes all the members of family happy, healthy and more productive. Accordingly, fresh air, light and appropriate level of ventilation besides creating ambient temperature will remain crucial while planning an designing these houses. House design shall also be varying , depending upon the socio-economic profile of the family, resources available and the climate prevailing in the region and the city.
In addition, to meeting the indoor requirement of space, family and its members also need outdoor space for interaction with community and neighbors . Accordingly, houses will have to be planned and designed in a pattern those adequate support facilities and infrastructure needed by the family for playing, education, healthcare, entertainment is made available as integral part of planning of housing cluster. In order to ensure that house does not become a liability for the family, house must remain affordable for the family without compromising with the quality living. Where cost of housing increases, it invariably impacts the quality of life of the family because of lesser availability of resources for meeting the basic needs of the family in terms of education, healthcare leisure and entertainment. Accordingly, while defining the affordability in USA, it has been specified that in order to make house affordable, expenses on shelter must not exceed the limit of 30% of the income of the family.
Role and importance of home and family emanates from the fact that each healthy home is a macrocosm of the entire universe, helping make the entire world a home for good living. Harmony at home, within a family, translates into harmony between families and communities and nations. This agenda has also been promoted by the agencies involved in creating housing at the local level. Chandigarh Housing Board, which is involved in creating housing has defined its vision in terms of; ‘To provide affordable, good quality housing for the residents of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and to improve the quality of life by establishing self-contained urban communities with state-of-the art amenities, in harmony with the environment.’
Looking conclusively , it can be observed that housing and family remains integrated for all intent and purposes. However, for understanding appreciating and analysing the relationship between needs of the family and space they require, would need detailed study. Outcome of such study should be made the basis of planning and designing of residential neighborhood at the local level, to make cities socially more cohesive besides being inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.